Blog
Insights on marketing strategy, the 8 Profit Activators, and what actually works.
Stop trying to convince people...
Stop trying to convince people. Just tell the TRUTH and watch what happens. In the summer of 1996, I learned one of the most important lessons of my career. ...
The 9-Word Email: The Complete Guide by Its Creator
I've sent thousands of 9-word emails over the last few years, and I've never seen anything as effective. People use them in every kind of business you can im...
Groundhog Day
Ever notice the subtle patterns in your daily life? I like to start my day with breakfast at my favorite Honeycomb Bakery. Today, I realized a lot of other p...
Nobody Opens Email
The danger of blanket declarations is believing them to be true. Nobody opens email anymore. Direct mail is dead. But here's what I would stake my success on...
Penetrating the Prayer Chain
If you provide a product or service that isn't needed or used regularly, what do you do? I have a friend who's a personal injury attorney specializing in veh...
Please Open This One
Did I ever tell you about my journey on the path that led me to the 9-word email? I was sitting in my evil scheme hatchery, working on an email campaign, and...
Cute Bikinis for Cute Prices
Here's a little something you might never guess about me. The most watched creators I follow on TikTok are the three twenty-something sisters of the Strawber...
The Death of Email
I take great delight in my growing collection of screen captures of ads declaring "The Death of Email." I take a picture of the ad, then I click on it to fin...
The Van Allen Belt
The riskiest part of sending a manned rocket into space isn't once it's up there. It's getting through the Van Allen Belt. That's where the radiation is high...
The Inevitability Cheat Code
Mike Tyson once said "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face." When you stepped into the ring with Mike Tyson circa 1986, it was inevitable y...
Imagine If You Applied Your SELF
When my mother passed, I found a red box with all my old report cards. It was an amazing walk down memory lane. The thing I loved most was reading the handwr...
The Problem with Checklists
There are 2 basic types of people in the world. People who like to follow checklists — and people who like to make checklists. The problem is when you expect...
That's Not Your Job
I once saw a great interview with Quentin Tarantino on The Charlie Rose Show. He told a story about a lunch that changed his life. Quentin was having lunch w...
Time Travel Instructions Inside
It's easy to imagine the benefits of time travel. I think about it a lot. The main advantage I can see is acting with certainty of future outcomes…knowing wh...
Your Own Personal Pluribus
I just watched the amazing Pluribus Series on Apple TV. The central idea of the story is simple and unsettling: what happens when every person in the world i...
Irrational Confidence
The first time I saw the words irrational confidence together was in a book called Overachievement. It was written by a sports psychologist who has coached a...
High Status Chimps
I once read about a fascinating study involving chimpanzees. Researchers gave chimps a choice. They could keep a small reward of grapes or juice…or they coul...
ScoreCards
When Dan Sullivan introduced me to the concept of a scorecard, it changed the way I approach conversations with potential clients. A scorecard enables you to...
Yellow Page Roulette
Long before I started the More Cheese Less Whiskers podcast, there was the I Love Marketing podcast with Joe Polish. One of the most popular episodes we ever...
Longetivity
Did you know I drive a BMW? In fact, I’m on my sixth or seventh BMW by now. What’s kept me a loyal BMW owner all these years isn’t just the car itself, it’s ...
The Value of Community
People underestimate the value of the community. Most business owners get hung up on the whole idea because they think it's two separate things. They wonder,...
Referral DNA
Did you know it's literally in our DNA to refer to things? Just think about how many times throughout the day you're introducing new things to people: movies...
Future-Proof Advantage
When I got my real estate license 30 years ago, the state-of-the-art technology was the thermal fax machine. You know, the one with a big roll of paper you s...
Consistency and Longetivity
It has been a couple of years since I started my Breakthrough Blueprint Event. It all came from a conversation with my friend Dan Sullivan, the founder of St...
Audience first
Most people start a podcast as a way to generate leads. First, they get an idea of what the podcast will be about. Second, they record an episode or two and ...
The Purpose of a Podcast
There are three models of podcasts that currently exist. The most common model involves one person interviewing a celebrity or people who have notoriety in a...
Profit Activator 7
People go through life managing daily urgencies. It's how we operate. You have a long list of essential things that need your focus, and you're aware of them...
Mainland Advantage
I do a podcast with Dan Sullivan called "The Joy Of Procrastination." We often discuss society's migration from the "mainland" into "cloudlandia." You can se...
Planning To Dominate
Profit Activator One says: Select a single target market at a time and plan to dominate it. When most people hear me talking about that, they don't listen to...
Syndication
There are two ways to grow your business: You can either scale it... or you can syndicate it. While some businesses are more suitable for scaling, others fit...
The Psychology of Scorecards
Profit Activator 3 is about educating and motivating your prospects to get started with you. While people generally understand the educating part, most are a...
Understanding people
Remember how I always talk about orchestrated referrals and Profit Activator 8 and how that's probably your biggest low-hanging fruit for increasing your bot...
Risk Reversal vs Results
In every business transaction, there's always somebody who has to take a chance. And most people demand their clients take that chance first: "You pay me, an...
Novelty and Security
Fundamentally, people can be divided into two groups. In the first group, some people are interested in novelty. They’re the ones who want to figure stuff ou...
The Tyranny of Convenience
I've recently read an interesting article in The New York Times called The Tyranny of Convenience. The article discusses how convenience always wins. It expl...
Webinars Vs Books
There are many ways to find your potential customers. But taking a moment to consider the most effective way to do it can multiply your results dramatically....
Clear Outcomes
In business, everything comes down to economics. What I mean by that is Whatever it is you can provide for your customers in exchange for their money, it sho...
Awareness
You hear me talk a lot about syndication, scale-ready algorithms, and how to dominate your industry. But building a huge business might not be everyone's dre...
After Sale ROI
Have a look around at what other businesses are doing in most markets. You'll notice that the majority of them are very front-end loaded. And I mean that the...
Referrals
You should know two things about referrals: The first is why a referral happens. People refer anything, from a movie to a restaurant, a dentist, etc., becaus...
Secret Weapon
Today, everyone's looking for an edge. However, most businesses are looking for it in the wrong places. Lowering their prices might give them that edge. Addi...
Make it Real
One of the most important and profitable things you can do for your business is to identify your unique offering and turn it into a competitive advantage ins...
Provocation
There are many people who, once they discover marketing, fall in love with it and what it can do to their business. What's more, the moment they realize the ...
The Greatest Leverage
You've heard me raving about syndication many times before. And for good reason. You see, syndication is one of those things where you do the work once and t...
Cloudlandia
There's never been a better time to be in most types of businesses. From the outside, it may look like technology is making everything redundant. But the opp...
Three Steps
There are three steps to a sustainable business. You have to: Make it up, Make it real, And make it recur. That’s the basic progression of it. Making it up c...
The Four Seasons Valhalla
I do a podcast with my friend Dan Sullivan called "The Joy Of Procrastination." And one of the things we talk about a lot is how Dan and his wife approach ho...
Words Matter
In a business where everyone is offering the same service, how you frame what you do will be your winning card. Because, as in life, so in marketing, it's no...
Enjoyable Life
I’m sure there’s a good reason why you’re an entrepreneur. If you’re anything like me, it’s probably because you like problem-solving. And conceptualizing id...
The Cost of Success
Sometimes, success comes at a cost. You may find yourself with a successful business, but your days are packed full of work you're not excited to do. And you...
Vending Machine
Sometimes, when your business is going well and you have more clients than you can handle, You come to a point where you start playing with the idea of helpi...
Lifestyle business
Many people talk about creating a 'lifestyle business'. But very few set out to find a business that meets that goal. The reason for that is, that a lifestyl...
Delivering Happiness
I'm sure you've heard of Zappos, their CEO Tony Hsieh and his book Delivering Happiness, The great thing about the whole idea of Zappos is the experience of ...
The Dream Come True Experience
Remember the question I always ask? The one that goes, “What would you do if you only got paid when your client gets the result?” The reason why everything s...
Know, Like and Trust
There’s a saying in marketing circles that goes like this: “People do business with people they know, like and trust.” But here’s the problem with that, The ...
Preemptive Serendipity
There are certain industries that, because of their nature, are having difficulty getting people excited about them. For example Nobody’s looking forward to ...
How It's made
Have you ever watched How It’s Made? It’s a great show. And what they do is, in each episode, they take you behind the scenes and show you how everyday objec...
Predictable Vending Machine
After many years of working with various entrepreneurs and business owners, I’ve found that one common mistake people make (especially the one-man-band busin...
A Promise
Too many business owners are hung up on the idea that their lead magnet book must be perfect. And what they normally do is… They spend weeks, months, even ye...
Core Unit
Have you noticed how every time you think about starting something new... a new venture or pivot for your current business… You always start with the full vi...
A Progressive Relationship
Have you ever heard of the company Deluxe? Deluxe is one of those huge companies that operate mostly under the radar. And what they do is they print business...
Free Results
It seems to me there’s a recurring theme on my More Cheese Less Whiskers podcast and every time I hatch "Evil Schemes" with people. And it is this... The con...
Promised Land
The three most important things about a lead-generating book (or report) are: It has to have a title that conveys something your prospects want. You must hav...
The Protocol
To scale any business, you must first nail your result-getting protocol. Because that's the basis for the scale-ready algorithm. And, you've heard me say thi...
Convenience
I read a book called ' Willpower Doesn’t Work' by Benjamin Hardy recently. And right in the first couple of pages, it says (paraphrasing)… Willpower is for p...
Rare and Delightful
Let me ask you something… Scroll through your inbox and try to find the last message meant only for you. How long ago was it? You’d be surprised at how few o...
Chain of Events
I did some work with a party rental company here in Toronto. When I asked them who’s their largest check client, what’s the jackpot for them, they said, “ An...
Book Triggers
By now, If you’ve been listening to More Cheese Less Whiskers podcast for long enough… You know very well that a book is the highest converting tool to get p...
A Lottery
In certain industries, emergencies are the most common way to get new clients. Think plumbers, electricians, roofers… or any other business that falls into t...
Lifetime Customers
Remember how I told you about a company I started in college called Name Droppers? My friend Neil and I would hire college girls to go out into neighborhoods...
Orchestrating Referrals
Most people don’t know how to orchestrate referrals. And there’s two reasons for that: First, most people think that asking clients for more business is begg...
Book Title Formulas
Can you guess the most important thing about a book? That’s right, its title. Your book’s title should be so compelling that when your ideal audience reads i...
More Inside
Sometimes, when you’re struggling with low opt-in rates on your website, it’s not because your stuff isn’t compelling. It’s because you’re giving people too ...
The IM Formula
Have I ever told you about my Internet Marketing formula before? It’s a simple formula that I came up with way back at the beginning of the Internet... and i...
Connecting the Dots
You can have any kind of business you want, and you can be passionate about anything you want… but... If you want to turn your thing into a successful ventur...
Writing Without Writing
If you’re contemplating using a book for your lead generation, there are only three absolute musts you need to put into place. First, you have to have a book...
Return on Communities
The one thing you should very consciously measure is the return on investment of everything you do because it will fundamentally change the way you approach ...
Competition Free Market
Let me ask you something: How would you like it if you had virtually no competition in your niche? If you had the monopoly? Imagine it: You’re the only plumb...
''Evil Scheme'' Foundation
Do you know what’s the foundation of an “evil scheme”? Picking a single target market. But do you know what the foundation of a GREAT “evil scheme” is? Picki...
The Discipline of Market Leaders
Remember how I always tell you that you must plan to dominate your category? Well, sometimes this also means deciding on what your core activity is and becom...
The Biggest Band in the World
There are many more people out there who can execute a scale-ready algorithm than people who can create an algorithm that’s ready to scale. And the fact that...
Impacting People at Scale
Everybody knows it: Trading your time for money isn’t scalable. And yet, it’s the main system most service-type businesses operate on. Professions like perso...
Outcome Based
Let me ask you something, How big do you think my email list is? I mean, how big would you expect it to be for a guy like me? You know, with my profile or my...
Compelling Lead-Getters
I have two front-ends driving most of what I do: My free offer for the Email Mastery book and the free book offer for the 90-Minute Book. And the reason for ...
Winning Avatars
A big part of having a successful business is getting crystal clear on who your target market is. Unfortunately, it’s also the hardest thing to do… because t...
Monetizing Results
Whenever you start a new business venture… a big part of its success is to build a community around it. Especially when you’re in the lifestyle or well-being...
The Greatest Conversation Starter
By now, you've probably figured out that the only purpose for your flagship email is to be the delivery mechanism for your Super Signature, And you probably ...
Franchise Prototype Thinking
Have I ever told you how much I like the franchise business model? There are two reasons. First of all, I always talk about breaking businesses into the Befo...
A-Pile Advertising
If you’ve been around the direct response water cooler for a while, you must've heard of Gary Halbert. And if you’ve heard of him, I’m sure you’ve also heard...
Ghost Restaurants
I read an article in the Chicago Tribune about a new concept called ‘ghost restaurants’. Have you heard of them yet? The headline was " Nine Restaurants, One...
Thriving Affiliates
Sometimes, when you have a groundbreaking product, it makes sense to license it to other people in your industry. Say, you have a new hair-thinning solution....
Coronation Ceremony
It’s always fun when we crown a new mayor of a category… And if you’ve been listening to More Cheese Less Whiskers podcast for a while, you can witness it ha...
Capital Investment Mindset
It seems to me; The more I’m playing this marketing game, the more I document everything. It has become crystal clear that all the money is in the long game....
The ''Easy Button" Solution
One thing that we all have in common is; We all want results. I know I do. And I’m sure you do as well. I’m willing to bet all your prospects want results, t...
One Target Market at a Time
The most confusing part for many business owners is selecting a single target market. I know it sounds simple. But when you get down to it… There are just to...
''One for One'' Model
Most business owners who provide a service that’s project-based have one big problem in common… And that’s scaling. Think about it: The only way to scale a p...
The ''After Unit'' Advantage
When you have a B2B service, say, a marketing or lead generation agency for other businesses… The one thing that quickly gets you in a relationship with any ...
Who not How
We’re living in a world right now where it’s never been a better time to have ideas. Think about it; Whatever you can imagine, no matter how ambitious or cra...
Filters And Amplifiers
Sometimes you want to know if your prospect meets certain criteria before you can help them. For example If you help people get loans, you might want to know...
Market Maker Advantage
Many businesses have the potential to become market makers... and they don’t know it. Think about it: Any time you connect people, you’re enabling two partie...
Creating a Movement
When you have a great message, an idea, a system or framework, that you know is helpful to people… and you want it to spread as wide as possible… The first s...
Competetive Advantage
Do you know what’s the best way to get rid of your competition? Doing things that nobody does... And sometimes, this means going against what’s perceived as ...
Free Trial FTW
When your business has a very strong After Unit component to it and most of your revenue is from serving clients regularly… then... One of the best assets yo...
In Search of Excellence
Have you ever read a book called "In Search of Excellence”? It’s written by Tom Peters, a wonderful management thought leader. He wrote several books on mana...
Name Droppers
When I was in college, my friend Neil and I used to run a painting company, And the way we got clients was... We created another company called Name Droppers...
Integrity Pricing
What’s really interesting to me is that people are so afraid to give away their prices. They'd rather go through many hoops before they tell you how much the...
Before Unit for Sale
Imagine you’re at a stage where you’ve finally cracked the code of your Before Unit… You know who your target market is in Profit Activator One. You've got a...
Tiger-proof Business
Several years ago, I was flying to LA and, to pass time, had Forbes magazine to amuse me. There was this article about the top 100 entertainers that caught m...
Commodity vs Advantage
In certain markets, what you sell is seen as a commodity. For example, workplace safety. People look at workplace safety as a requirement. They will do what ...
Customer Avatars
There are two things at play when you're coming up with your single target market: Firstly, you need to have a clear idea of all the different stages in your...
Your Next 25 Years
Sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you’ve got all this specialized knowledge acquired over a lifetime in your industry, and you’ve realized you...
The Culture Code
There's a great book by Clotaire Rapaille called "The Culture Code." In his book, Rapaille explains how everything in our lives is based on an imprint that w...
Unearned Income
Let me ask you something… If you took 100% of all the money you’ve made in the last 12 months, what percentage of that would be “unearned income”? That is, i...
Consumer Awareness Guides
Here’s the thing about consumer awareness guides… If you’re using them in your Before Unit, there are a couple of things you need to be aware of (pun intende...
Largest Check
Selecting a single target market is always tricky. And it’s especially hard early on in your business when you don’t want to limit yourself and deliberately ...
Patterns and Repetition
The "low hanging fruit" of your After Unit is what I call "orchestrated referrals" It's when you deliberately do things and communicate in a way that makes t...
Thinking Bigger
Your business is ready to scale when it provides results and value beyond your need to be involved in delivering that value. But the trouble is… when you’re ...
Commitment and Consistency
Have you ever watched American Idol or The Voice? From the outside, both shows look a lot like one and the same: A singing competition for undiscovered artis...
New Music
The great thing about 8-Profit Activators is that they apply to ANY kind of business. They are universally present. And they’re happening whether you’re cons...
Convincing Demonstration
A demonstration is one of the best tools you can use to convince somebody of something. It's not about "selling the benefits." It's SHOWING somebody what the...
Three Words
Your whole marketing strategy can be distilled down to just three simple words: Compel, Convince, Collaborate. You need to COMPEL somebody to raise their han...
The ''Giving Hand''
Sometimes it's less expensive to get your prospects started with you than it is to convince them to give you money to get started. This is true no matter wha...
Your Biggest Opportunity
One of the biggest marketing ideas around is risk reversal., It means taking the chance, taking all the risk and putting it on your shoulders instead of on y...
Scorecards
Scorecards are a great conversation starter. They give you a real insight into your prospect's mindset and where they see their opportunities. Which helps yo...
Send Them Cheese
Here's a way to quickly turn your whiskery B2B emails into cheese for your prospects A company in Florida does all the postcards, printing and mailing for me...
Minimum Viable Commitment
You've heard about the term "minimum viable product" before, right? It's part of the Lean Startup methodology, where you only build the minimum features nece...
Where It All Starts
Have I ever told you how the whole “More Cheese Less Whiskers” idea started? I used to read a lot of articles about psychology and human interaction dynamics...
Content Curation
One of the components of your Profit Activator 3 is your flagship email. The purpose? To educate and motivate people to get started with you. And sometimes, ...
The Love Letter
One common mistake people make with their 9-word emails is that they jump to the prescription too soon. Here’s a typical 9-word email scenario: “Are you stil...
Showing vs Telling
How do you differentiate your product or service from your competitors? Most people focus on features. Listing everything their products have or do… trying t...
Compelling Before Convincing Pt.2
Here’s the thing about online marketing... You get the best results when: you isolate the work you need to do initially into separate steps, and, you focus o...
Escape Valve
Here's a curious thing... Very early in my "internet" years, I discovered that the fewer options I put on the site, the more people opted in. That's where my...
What Do I Do Now?
I get a lot of questions about 9-word emails. And they usually ask, "What do I do after I send that initial 9-word email and get all these replies back?" "Wh...
How vs What
Sometimes your business is tied to a specific location. Like a fitness studio, an after-school tutoring program, a tennis or golf course… and so on. And the ...
It Starts at the End
Did you notice how when people are just starting out and beginning to think about their marketing, what usually happens is they immediately focus on the ad a...
Always Open
One classic example of "expense-based" marketing is the launch model. Here, your Profit Activator 2 is your JV partner. You rely heavily on them to push pros...
Start Here... Again
The secret of entering the conversation in your prospect's mind is figuring out the timeline they're on that leads to your product or service. Because when y...
5-Star Prospects
When you're building your list of prospects... an asset that will appreciate over time… You must have a system of record-keeping and documentation. Something...
Leads
How do you feel about the word LEADS? Me, I don't like it. And here's why: It depersonalizes people, and it automatically turns them into numbers and statist...
Contentimonials
Most people use their podcasts as a tool for lead generation. But in reality… a podcast is a much better lead conversion mechanism, perfect for your Profit A...
Emotional Word Palette
One of the biggest stumbling blocks I see people have is choosing the right words to name their cookies, book titles and headlines. There's this expectation ...
What's Coming
I spend a lot of time thinking about the digitization of the future and how that’s all changing everything for us. Every year I attend Peter Diamandis’ event...
Are You a Doer?
Sometimes, the only thing stopping you from having an enjoyable and successful business is YOU. We all thrive in different situations, and figuring out what ...
About Mom
You hear people talking about how "email is dead" and how "nobody reads email anymore…." But this couldn't be further from the truth. Just look around you… N...
One-Click Ordering
The job of your Profit Activator Four is to make it easy for people to get started with you. And a big part of that is separating the decision from the logis...
Opening the Gates
Your Profit Activator 2 is a gateway for prospects to come into your world. People either respond to it and enter your profit Activator 3… or don’t. That’s r...
5 Mistakes That Kill Your 9-Word Email (And the Fixes)
For the complete guide to the 9-word email, including the formula, variations, and real results, read The 9-Word Email: The Complete Guide by Its Creator. Fo...
What to Say
The job of your Profit Activator 3 is to patiently educate and motivate people until they’re ready to buy from you. And the most straightforward way you can ...
Start Here
Everything starts with your Profit Activator 1... your one single target market. Every industry has a whole spectrum of people you could focus on. And it's c...
Conversion Wrestling
When people struggle with lead conversion, it's often because of a straightforward mistake... They take the words "lead conversion" too literally. It's easy ...
Pre-programmed for Your Convenience
There's a brilliant campaign from Molson Canadian beer from a few years back. They would run a full-page ad in a woman's magazine… I think it was Cosmo… with...
The P&G Principles
There's a book about Procter & Gamble called "The P&G; 99". It describes the 99 principles P&G; uses when thinking about new markets and how they operate the...
Future Money
Here’s what I find fascinating: People are far less attached to future money than present money. For most people, present money is already spoken for. This m...
Social Reward
One of the most common tactics to get referrals I see people use is Contests. And at first glance, it makes a lot of sense. You want to incentivize people, a...
Return on Groceries
Becoming the advocate and trusted advisor to your target market is not only a noble thing to do… It's also the most profitable for both you AND your customer...
Pulse of The Future
Every year I go to Peter Diamandis’ Abundance 360 conference. It’s an exciting event and THE place to be if you’re curious about cutting-edge technology… and...
Conversation Starters
In your Profit Activator 3, you have a list of people who enquired about something. They raised their hand and downloaded your free guide, book, or report. H...
Simple Website Formula
I have a formula for measuring websites… and it goes like this: Eyeballs + emails + hearts = faces. You have to have eyeballs. That’s the first number I’m in...
Results vs Tools
People often assume the value is in their tools. But the reality is, nobody really cares about the tools. Your product or service… that’s not where the value...
Future Pacing
When you have a product or service that helps different people at different stages, it might seem difficult to pick just ONE target market and go with it, ri...
Gift Card Ideas
Here’s an idea: Next time you run a promotion, use gift cards. Instead of doing the usual “Buy one get one free…” or “50% off…” just give away $20 (or even $...
Reassuringly Expensive
Let’s talk about pricing… Remember Stella Artois’ campaign? Their whole thing was, “we use only the most expensive ingredients, and we pass the cost onto you...
The Marketing Equation
Since the beginning of time, commerce has been driven by exchanging goods or services for money. You have a widget or service people want the results your wi...
Plan to Dominate
https://vimeo.com/792943492 Transcript One of the most impactful books that I've read was a book called the p and g 99, and the p and g stands for Proctor an...
Scalable Workforce
One necessary requirement of a scale-ready algorithm is to have a scale ready team. sALIM ISMAIL If you think of Peter Diamandis’ books Abundance and Bold as...
Outcome vs Process
If you want people to take action, you have to offer them what I call "cookies". It’s a way to take the initiative and get your prospects into motion, so the...
Deadlines
Deadlines are an interesting "beast". Nobody likes them, yet nothing gets done without deadlines. A quote (I forgot by whom) says, "No book has ever been wri...
The Hamburg Years
I saw a great documentary about The Beatles recently. It was about their early years up to the point where they stopped performing live. One thing that’s rea...
Vending Machine Wiring
You often hear me talk about vending machines, And how your Before Unit needs to work just like one. A machine that delivers you, clients, every time you ins...
10 Million Dollar Orange Grove
Businesses have different models of making money. Some are straightforward, one-time transactional types. When selling widgets, that’s the type of business y...
The Appeal-O-Meter
My friend John Carlton created a thinking “device” called The Appeal-O-Meter. And what it does is It helps you discover the appeal of your offer to your pros...
The Dream Pill
https://vimeo.com/793316544 Transcript do you ever remember seeing that commercial? When is a diet pill worth $153 a bottle? You know, that was the number on...
Connecting The Dots
Do you know what the real beauty of 8-Profit Activators is? They are universally present. They’re in every business. Whether you consciously recognize them a...
Dig Well, Get Thirsty
I’m sure you’ve heard about Robert Cialdini’s new book. It’s called Pre-Suasion. And it’s the “sequel” to his seminal book Influence. I’ve read it four times...
Winning Small
There’s a guy you’ve probably heard of; he spent a great deal of money building a rocket. And when he launched it... it crashed. Soon after, he built a secon...
Information Magnets
When your product is a very complex thing, Something that needs a bit of explaining before your prospects can see the real benefit of it, You really need to ...
Gift Card vs Discount
https://vimeo.com/790853311 Transcript One of my favorite things that we've done, the favorite distinction that I've discovered, is the difference in value b...
Secret Psychology of Why People Refer
https://vimeo.com/790819703 One of the most important things to understand about referrals is the secret psychology of why people refer. And it's not what we...
Compelling before Convincing
Have you noticed: whenever you have a product that can potentially help everybody everywhere... Do you find yourself doing a lot of education too soon? And b...
The Multiplier Effect
You can look at your During Unit two ways: At the most basic level, it should satisfy your CORE objective: to deliver the product or service you promised. If...
The President's Choice
Have you ever heard of Dave Nichols? Maybe, if you grew up in Canada. But if you didn’t, Dave Nichols was the president of the biggest grocery store in Canad...
Reverse Conversion Engineering
Do you know what "reverse engineering" means? Here’s the definition of it: Reverse engineering is taking apart an object to see how it works in order to dupl...
Subject Lines
I've been studying emails in great detail lately. I'm getting an inside look at all kinds of businesses in my Email Mastery Case Study program. One of the mo...
Can you Prove it?
"What would you do if you only got paid if your client gets the result?" That’s the one question I always ask when hatching evil schemes with somebody. (And ...
How To ''Catch'' Invisible Prospects
There are two types of prospects populating your market: VISIBLE and INVISIBLE ones. The easiest ones to sell to are, of course, visible prospects. You know ...
Return on LEADS
When it comes to metrics, I’m like a kid in a candy store, Always looking for ways to monitor more, better things in bigger, better ways. The After Unit is p...
Just Buy The Book Dummy
Writing about Soap Opera thinking last week got me thinking about one of the most pleasantly surprising things that ever happened to me. I was fortunate to b...
Syndication For The Win
If you're at the point in your business where you’ve figured out a cool and efficient way of doing things, and you’re wondering, "How could I license this or...
The Horoscope Effect
One of the 8 Profit Activators people usually struggle with the most is… Profit Activator #1. Here’s what it says: Select one single target market at a time....
What People Will Do
Mike Tyson once said, " Everybody’s got a plan until they get punched in the face". He must’ve been talking about business... because that’s exactly how thin...
When Marketing Works on YOU
I am always hyper-aware of when marketing is working on me. Are you? I travel a lot, so I notice when things in the hospitality service work amazingly well a...
Amplifying Print Ads
Newspapers aren't going away anytime soon. That’s a fact. I honestly believe there’s still much juice to be squeezed from that orange ;) And since everyone i...
Magnetic Book Titles
I always say the best lead magnet is a book. After all these years of experimenting, nothing ever comes close to how well books and reports convert. But here...
Pre-suasive Conversation Starters
Have you noticed how a book can become an instant authority booster? When you are presented as Homer McDonald, author of Stop Your Divorce, people start perc...
The Bullseye Conversion Booster
If your current lead generation strategy offers a free workshop for people, your conversion rates are not that great. Say you’re a financial advisor offering...
The Emotional Jet Stream
If you ever find it difficult selling your product, if you feel like nobody seems to care about it, it’s probably because your message about the product is w...
Soap Opera Thinking
I’m sure you’ve heard of Procter and Gamble. The big company that invented and sells almost every product in your home. Most people don’t know about P&G; the...
Do You Know Your Return On Relationships?
One of the most exciting ways to bring in new business is to go after new leads. Everyone loves and focuses on the Before Unit. But when time and resources a...
Overcoming Bystander Apathy
One of the main reasons why 9-word emails work so well is because they’re designed to overcome something called bystander apathy. Here’s what I mean... Take ...
External Blame Shifting
Take any industry. (Service or coaching in particular.) You will notice what normally happens is that you will ask for the money upfront and then deliver the...
I Love Marketing LIVE! (Wednesday)
Here's the link to join us at 1pm ET today: ILoveMarketingLive.com Joe Polish and I are getting the band back together. This Wednesday, April 8th, we go live...
Six pack abs as a service
For over 30 years now, one of the things I do is help real estate agents grow amazing businesses. In that 30 years, the big wins for the real estate agents h...
Email is DEAD
I take great delight in my growing collection of screen captures of ads declaring “The Death of Email.” I take a picture of the ad, then I click on it to fin...
Infinite Money Loop
I once heard Ben Shapiro describe the back of the napkin pitch he used to raise the $4.8 million dollars they needed to start The Daily Wire. He drew a circl...
Think Small. Win Big.
We all want to win big. Somewhere along the way, most of us were conditioned to believe that the path to winning big is to think big. Bigger markets. Bigger ...
Human Nature Always Wins
If you want better response from your marketing, don’t start by trying to change people. Start by accepting that human nature always wins. One of the surest ...
Hero Making
Ever since we started playing the cooperation game and banding together in tribes, it’s been important to demonstrate our value to the group. The things we d...
Capacity Currency
There’s a source of amazing opportunity in your business that you might not recognize. It’s the excess capacity you have to do more of what you do. There is ...
Lead conversion love languages
There's a great book called The 5 Love Languages. It talks about how different people experience being loved. Some people need Words of Affirmation. Some nee...
I like you
Joe Girard is widely regarded as the greatest salesperson in the world. He sold cars. For several years he set sales records. It's Documented in the Guiness ...
I'm here about the book…
One of the games I play when I'm writing emails is to imagine the one person I'm writing to standing right there in front of me. It starts with imagining the...
Five-star prospects
Whenever I send out a 9-word email, the only person I’m trying to reach is my 5-star prospect. There are five things that need to be true if someone is a 5-s...
Three-mile famous
I coined a phrase... And it goes like this: Focus on getting three-mile famous. What I mean by that is… When you have a brick-and-mortar business like a fitn...
Re-engagement
There are many things you can use your emails for... But only one of those things is the fastest and surest way to turn a short little email into money in yo...
Creating Hope
There's so much negativity in the world right now. No matter what you read or hear it’s all about the fear and division. But, what if you could do something ...
Smile please…
Quarantine continues to affect how we’re all doing business. Still, adversity is the mother of invention, and many of the entrepreneurs I’ve spoken to are re...
Selling Before Creating
Dan Sullivan always says, "Sell the tickets before you write the play because if nobody buys the tickets, you don't need the play." There have been many time...
Technical vs Psychological Sales
The technical capabilities needed to make a sale online are completely different from the psychological capabilities needed to make a sale online… The techni...
Getting the lay of the land
Do you know where your clients reside within your business? Not geographically, but where do they reside in the 8-Profit Activators? Are they in the before, ...
Write the punchline
Remember when you were in school and had to write a story for class? You were taught a system that worked all the way through school. You’d do an outline fir...
Lead Me Please
You’ve probably heard the saying, “People secretly want to be led.”, but I can almost guarantee that you’ve never heard of an “Alpha Laugher.” And unless you...
Chaos to Clarity
Most of the time, if you’re the owner of a business and you are very hands-on, you’ll end up wearing many hats. Sometimes all in the same day! If you don’t h...
Syndicate Your Systems
In any type of consulting business, there are two types of clients… The ones where you’re familiar with their line of business, maybe they’re in the same bus...
Big Returns from Little Markets
Did you ever play "King of the Hill" when you were growing up? Everybody wanted to be King, right. But the only way you could stay on top of the hill was to ...
Auto Metrics with Isaac Partita
Today on the More Cheese Less Whiskers podcast, I want to share a conversation I had with Isaac Partita, who helps car dealers and car consultants to grow th...
Why 9-Word Emails Fail (And How to Fix Them)
This post covers a specific failure mode of the 9-word email. For the complete guide to how it works, read The 9-Word Email: The Complete Guide by Its Creato...
One Word "Trick" That's Cures Procrastination. Now.
Here's a thought for Wednesday as you're planning the rest of your week... When I’m procrastinating, which is often, it’s almost always because I’m not exact...
Aim… Then Shoot
Everybody loves the before unit. And really, that’s the most fun way to grow your business, right? There are so many possibilities, there are new leads every...
Vision, capabilities and reach
Any kind of successful venture has got to have three key components: Vision… capabilities… and reach. But here’s the thing. It is vision and reach that provi...
Turn-key system
One of the winning formulas I used throughout my career is syndication. I started out in real estate and did a lot of work there. But all of the wealth I’ve ...
SPEAR emails
The process of generating leads is very data-driven… You can easily break down the stages, review the results… and then turn the dials to optimize your campa...
The magic trick
One of my favorite 9-word email stories is about a guy who taught jiu-jitsu classes. It goes like this… Some time ago, I was running full-page ads in Success...
Pricing guide
I always say that a book is one of the best performing lead magnets of all time... But guess what's the close second? A pricing guide. I've experimented with...
Conversation starter
A book is a great conversation starter… In fact, I’ve found that nothing works better as a lead magnet than a focused, meaningfully titled book. It's the bes...
Brand
I grew up in Canada... And until recently, I used to spend every summer, from May till October, in Toronto. So I’m tuned in to the Canadian pop culture. For ...
Consumer durables
Here’s a little wisdom nugget from one of the greatest investors of all time... Warren Buffett is known for doing annual meetings in Omaha, with all the Berk...
The oxygen mask
One of the most exciting ways to bring in new business is to go after new leads. Everyone loves and focuses on the Before Unit. However, you may have noticed...
Meeting a New Need
Our reality has changed tremendously in the last few weeks... And right now, the number one concern people have is for their own basic survival. There are on...
Your avatar
One of the 8 Profit Activators people usually struggle with the most is Profit Activator One. Here’s what it says: Select one single target market at a time....
Three mile famous
I coined a phrase the other day… And it goes like this: Focus on getting three-mile famous. What I mean by that is… When you have a brick-and-mortar business...
The easy button
I’m a big fan of processes. In fact, everything I do in my business is based on them. This way, instead of working IN the business, I’m free to work ON the b...
Content Amplifiers
Everybody’s got a podcast these days. And the way most people use it is to generate leads. But here’s the thing… Your podcast is a very unpredictable tool fo...
Testing your hypothesis
When you want to test a new business idea, here’s what you shouldn’t do… You shouldn’t start by thinking about how much you should charge for it. And yet, I’...
Consumer awareness guide
Here’s the thing about consumer awareness guides… It’s something Joe Polish and I have talked about a lot on our “I Love Marketing” podcast… Consumer awarene...
Global vs local
There’s an interesting phenomenon happening right now… And it’s the biggest migration our society has ever faced. Have you noticed? We’re all moving to what ...
The magic ticket
Imagine you’re a small hotel manager. Say, 100 rooms at $100 per night... Now, your ideal scenario is to have all rooms booked at all times at their standard...
Orchestrated referrals
Remember how I always say you should think about marketing as an investment... And that your leads are an asset which yields bigger and bigger returns over t...
The Four C's
There’s a great book I recommend everyone should read… But it’s especially beneficial if you have any kind of coaching business. The book is called “The 4 C'...
Results
Ask yourself this: “What would I do if I only got paid when my client gets the result?” Notice how, the moment you start thinking about the answer, two thing...
The Starbucks test
Whenever you’re in doubt about your 9-word emails, and you’re not sure if you’ve done them correctly… A quick “Starbucks test” will tell you if you’re on the...
Outbound emails
9-word email is great for reviving dead leads… But you’d be surprised how well it works for outbound emails, too. Let me show you an example… The company who...
Five star prospects
Whenever I send out a 9-word email, the only person I’m trying to reach is my 5-star prospect. There are five things that need to be true if someone is a 5-s...
Re-engagement dont
There are many things you can use your emails for... But only one of those things is the fastest and surest way to turn a short little email into money in yo...
Bystander apathy
The first thing they teach you when you take a CPR course is how to overcome bystander apathy. It goes like this. If you're the first on the scene of an acci...
The killer app
It’s been a few years now that marketers keep saying, “Email is dead!’ But all I’m seeing is evidence of the contrary… People use email more than ever before...
Start the movement
If you want to change the world with a book, then the best book to do it with is a short book. Something that’s in the 50 to 70-page range. Here’s why: Peopl...
Content first
Whenever I have a conversation with someone who’s just starting a coaching kind of business… They all ask a similar question: "How do I build my credibility ...
100% cheese
A while ago, my friend Gorana shared this on her Facebook: "More Cheese Less Whiskers with a 3-year-old... Me: James, it's time for a bath. James: Nooooo!! (...
Selecting vs being selected
Do you know who Charles Koch was? He died recently but he was the head of the largest privately held company in the world. Over 100 billion dollars. When Cha...
Activity vs results
There’s a reason why coaches, consultants, and other service providers have a hard time selling their packages... Most of them sell activities instead of res...
Changes
I read an interview with Jeff Bezos some time ago. There’s one part that I keep thinking about ever since... When the interviewer asked Jeff what he thinks i...
The Before Unit
Most business owners spend their days in the During Unit. They're driving the sales... They're driving the fulfillment… They're making sure everything’s runn...
Buying reflex
I had a major breakthrough in lead conversions this year. It’s this: There are only two-time frames when it comes to converting your prospects - Now and Not ...
Talker's block
Everybody’s had writer’s block a few times in their life. I know I have. And it usually happens when you sit down and try to wiggle your way into writing som...
Expense vs investment
Most people, when they think about advertising, they see it as an expense. So they want their ads to be profitable. Which means, when they run their ads, the...
Free marketing
Running ads has never been easier thanks to Facebook, Instagram, and other social media. However, the number one challenge people have with ads is still here...
Investable hours
We recently launched our podcast service called Dial Talk Done. It’s the same model that drives my More Cheese Less Whisker podcast. And the whole premise of...
Bankable results
When you’re running a business, what you do is create results for people in exchange for money. But not all results are created equal... If you want your bus...
Money-making collaborations
I was watching some Dude Perfect videos over lunch the other day. If you’ve never heard of them, let me tell you… Theirs is one of the greatest success stori...
Collaboration
We’re at a point in our society where collaboration has never been easier. For example, look at Kylie Jenner... About a year ago, Kylie was on the cover of F...
Multitasking
Many people believe they’re good at doing multiple things at once. But here’s the myth about multitasking… There’s no such thing! You can’t do two things at ...
Free-range thoughts
Here’s the thing about focus and getting things done… In order for you to focus, you need to eliminate distractions. The problem is, even when you eliminate ...
Golf
Many years ago, when I was trying to figure out how to get more done in less time… I realized I never ever have problems with playing golf. Every time I deci...
Time For Everything
Whenever I talk to people about productivity the one thing I keep hearing is… “I just don’t have time for everything.” But here’s the thing. There IS time fo...
Confidence vs result
Consider this: What’s the result that you’re 100% confident you could create for your prospects? See, whenever I ask this question, the most common reply I g...
Be a hero
My friend, Dan Sullivan, came out with a great new book recently. It’s called Who Do You Want To Be A Hero To. It's one of the most profound books I've ever ...
Convincing vs compelling
You’ve heard me talk about “convincing vs compelling” a number of times... Because it’s such a game changer for any kind of lead generation. And while you ma...
The prescription
I get a lot of questions about 9-word emails. And they’re mostly about what happens next… See, the magic of the 9-word email is so powerful, people get back ...
Lead magnets
Not all lead magnets are created equal. Some are better than others... But - and this is important - they’re not always the same. Sometimes, a book works way...
Leads and sales
Everyone wants as much leads as they can get… and convert them into customers as fast as they can. And it’s pretty common to use some kind of funnel for that...
Goldmine
I had a client in Canada who does branding, packaging and management for hockey players. Now, bear in mind: If you want to be an NHL hockey player, the best ...
The Jennifer Leathers message
When somebody signs up to your email list, what’s the first thing you do? If you’re like most people, you send the new subscriber a welcome email with links ...
Money making gift cards
Remember how I always say that the best-performing lead magnet is a free book or report? Well, for the right kind of business, there’s something else that wo...
Perishable capacity
Listen to any of the episodes on my More Cheese Less Whiskers podcast, and you’ll notice... Whenever I have a conversation with somebody about their business...
The conversation
One of the most famous sayings in marketing is, “Enter the conversation in your prospect’s mind…” However, I realize it can be tricky to apply something so v...
One market at a time
Whenever I talk about narrowing your focus to a single target market at a time… People always think what I’m saying is they must limit themselves to that one...
Huge commitment
Sometimes, you see ads that ask prospects for a big commitment upfront… Like filling out a form, calling in for more information, scheduling a consultation… ...
Ready right now
When it comes to marketing, there are three things you need to know if you want to boost your conversion rates. The first one is, close to half of people who...
Your dream come true
Sometimes, you start a project out of pure passion… You don’t think about it in terms of a business. In fact, making money from it is the last thing on your ...
The power of broke
Joe Polish and I did an I Love Marketing episode with Daymond John about “the power of broke”. And the main message in that episode is, there’s huge opportun...
Who vs How
Every entrepreneur has a reason WHY they do what they do… It might be, you have a specific knowledge and want to help people with it. Maybe you want to do a ...
Self-Milking Cows
I’ve been working with entrepreneurs for a long time. And what I realized is… Most of them are struggling with the same thing: They’re all trying to do it al...
The local global business model
Every time someone comes to me and says, “I'm thinking of starting an online business so I can reach the whole world…” My response is always the same: That’s...
The pursuit of now
When it comes to lead conversion… I’ve realized... the whole process is about one thing and one thing only… We, the business owners, are constantly in the pu...
Profit centers
When I was in college, my friend and I ran a painting company. But in order to get leads, we started another company called Name Droppers. And through this o...
Overnight success
One of the greatest stories I’ve heard in recent memory is the one about Wayfair… Have you heard of this company? It’s a huge home goods e-commerce site here...
Recurring income
Everybody loves recurring income... But, do you know what’s the most critical thing about recurring income? Is that it recurs. And, in order for it to recur…...
Unlimited budget
Sometimes you have to start in the middle. And what I mean by that is… When you’re just starting out with your new business idea, you have to figure out your...
Audience Advantage
I read a great book recently. It’s called "I Don't Want To Be Rude But” by Simon Cowell, the guy who created the Pop Idol TV show. (That later became America...
Unique ability
I’ve been looking at office buildings here in Winter Haven recently. And what I realized is... When I see a building, I just can’t see its potential. I don’t...
The tone of your conversations
Did you know… A 9-word email is not only great for reviving dead leads. It can also do all sorts of magic for your outbound marketing. But there’s one caveat...
Magic tricks
Here’s one of the most important rules about marketing… If you want to sell people what they need, you need to give them what they want - first. That’s espec...
Theory vs results
When it comes to business, I take the scientific approach to everything I do. What I mean by that is, I first come up with a hypothesis about what I think it...
Books
I’ve said it many times… A book is the highest converting front-end offer you have to start a conversation with somebody. And the reason people respond so we...
The power question
When you want to make progress as an entrepreneur you have to adopt better mindsets… And the very first mindset you must adopt is to think about collaboratio...
Genetic code
Did you know… There are 5 billion characters in our genetic code. But only 5 million of them is what makes you, YOU. The rest are “standard issue human…” Isn...
Transformation
People often think everything starts with the ad and the Before Unit… It doesn’t. Just because the 8 Profit Activators are positioned in a certain order: Fir...
Podcasts
Podcasts are great… They’re probably one of the best mediums to get your message out. And it’s the number one tool to build trust and make people want to sta...
Cheese & whiskers
I have a podcast called More Cheese Less Whiskers… You probably know that already. But what you may not know is why it’s called that. I read some articles a ...
Advertising sophistication
There are three levels of sophistication in advertising… And I’m not talking about your target market’s sophistication levels here. I’m talking about you: Th...
Presuasion
My go-to strategy for identifying people who are in my target market is… to offer them a free book. Now, when I say “book,” I don’t mean a big 550-page full-...
Testimonials
I want you to rethink your way around testimonials… Normally, business owners use testimonials to shine a light on them. To tell other people how great their...
Familiarly new
People don’t like novelty. We think we do, but what we really mean is… We’re attracted to new versions of something we already know and like. Just look at mu...
Biggest asset
I talk a lot about the Eight Profit Activators and how to apply them to your business. But what if you’re an artist? Would that same framework work just as w...
Strategic outcomes
If you can’t deliver results for people, you don’t really have a business. So, before you do anything else, that’s where your focus should go… But once your ...
Celebrities
I got to meet Shep Gordon last year. If you don’t know who Shep is… He’s probably one of the biggest music and entertainment managers ever. Throughout his ca...
Action triggers
Whenever somebody decides to start doing business with you… and they transition from “prospect" to “customer”… They do so as a result of a certain trigger. I...
Cookies
Imagine if I brought you into my home, I sat you in the living room... and said: "Hey, Dean. I'm really happy you're here. If there's anything you want to ea...
Multiplying clients
Most people think the right way to do referrals is by providing some kind of incentives… They set up affiliate programs, think up a variety of monetizing str...
Return on relationships
The real value of your business is mostly in the After Unit… In other words, your biggest opportunity is in building the list of people who bought from you o...
The bridge
How do you build the bridge between “People don’t know you” and “Now they’re working with you”…? Here’s the bad news: You don’t… There’s no one bridge that c...
Songs
Here’s a little “secret”… When it comes to business, all the money is in scaling. It’s in exploiting, maximizing, and optimizing results you get from everyth...
Original work
When people say, “I can help anybody!” and then, on top of that, have three or five or eleven different things they can do for clients… They usually believe ...
Starting a movement
If you want to start a movement... and then grow it big… you need to start by embracing one simple idea: There’s nobody stopping you from appointing yourself...
Gift cards
Here’s the thing... When you offer someone a 20% off… a 50% off… a "buy one get one free"… or any kind of offer where they have to pay you money in order to ...
Unused capacity
There’s a guy called Gamal Aziz who used to be the general manager of the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. And Gamal is sort of a legend. Because when he joined...
The universal framework
The greatest thing about business is… there are only a limited number of challenges we all face when going from “zero to hero”. Yes, it’s true, there are alm...
Proven protocol
There’s two reasons why I’m such a big advocate for creating your own “protocol” for how you generate results for people... First, your protocol proves you c...
Bigger pie
There’s a common myth among business owners that goes like this… “If only I could reach more people… If only I could go global, and expand my reach… then, I’...
Self-interest
I’ve noticed that when it comes to Before Unit and generating leads for your business… most people confuse Profit Activator Two and Profit Activator Three. B...
Horse for sale
You know how the saying goes? Sometimes, the best way to sell a horse is with a sign that says, "Horse for Sale." I have no idea where I heard that first. Bu...
Different game
What would you do if you only get paid when your client gets the result? Whenever I say that… even as just a thought... people think I’m saying they should s...
Hard to prove
We all know that design matters… We don’t have much scientific data to prove that claim, but on an intuitive level we all kind of get it. People are attracte...
Invisible prospects
In any kind of market, there are two types of prospects... Visible and invisible prospects. The easiest ones to sell to are, of course, visible prospects. Yo...
Specific vs generic
Last time I told you that if you cast a net too wide when you’re selecting your target market… your marketing message becomes vague... And you’re going to ha...
Single target market
One of the biggest misconceptions people have about Profit Activator One is… They think they can only ever have ONE single target market. But that’s not the ...
The beginning
Everyone starts with a big vision of helping all these people in so many different ways… And that’s the problem. Because that vision is so big and broad and ...
Human to human
People usually say to me, “I have a B2B business…” or… “I sell B2C…” But you know what? No matter what your industry is… engineering, consulting, real estate...
Flagship communication
Everybody loves to focus on how to get more leads… But, before you start adding new people to your list… what’s really important is to set the context around...
The hero
When Gary Vaynerchuck first started his Wine Library TV show... He initially thought it’s going to be like QVC for wine. He thought he was going to come on c...
Scalable ideas
I was at Strategic Coach in Chicago not long ago and… I was talking to Joe Polish. We discussed how, as a society, we fetishize so much the execution and sca...
Definition of success
One of the best things I ever did was 20 years ago… And it was this: I went through an exercise which helped me create a guide post for my definition of succ...
The outcome
One mistake people make when they’re selecting their single target market is… They put too much focus on the demographic aspects of it. Meaning, they’re narr...
The confirmation moment
Everything starts with you having a product or service that’s a dream come true for somebody. Something that’s going to make a real difference for people. Bu...
Convenience of relationships
I often mention this great article I read in the New York Times called The Tyranny of Convenience... I’m sure you remember. It talks about how convenience is...
The 2nd best band in Dublin
What’s the number one problem for anyone who’s starting something new? That’s right, it’s, “How do I get the word out?” Because, even though there’s millions...
Bingeable audience
Most of the time, I talk to business owners who have a business up and running… … and we brainstorm ways to apply the 8-Profit Activators to identify the tar...
Convincing through contentimonials
Long before I started doing the More Cheese Less Whiskers podcast, there was the I Love Marketing Podcast with Joe Polish… And one of the most popular episod...
Longevity
Did you know... I drive a BMW. In fact, I think I’m on my sixth or seventh BMW by now… But the thing that has kept me a loyal BMW owner is - my car dealershi...
Consistency and longevity
This year, it’s been six years since I’ve started my Breakthrough Blueprint event... And it all came from a conversation I had with my friend, Dan Sullivan, ...
Greatest leverage
You’ve heard me raving about syndication many times before. And for good reason... You see, syndication is one of those things where you do the work once, an...
Proprietary metrics
The one thing that convinces your prospects to buy from you the most... is proof that you can help them get the results they want. That’s why, when you’re ju...
Breakthrough e-commerce
The more I talk to different business owners the more I realize how universal 8 Profit Activators really are. It’s true. Every time I have a conversation wit...
The “easy button” solution
One thing that we all have in common is… We all want results. I know I do. And I’m sure you do as well. Hey, I’m willing to bet all your prospects want resul...
Competitive advantage
Do you know what’s the best way to get rid of your competition? Doing things that nobody does... And sometimes, this means going against what’s perceived as ...
Starting a conversation
I’ve said it many times before and I’m going to say it again… The best way to start a conversation with somebody is with a book or a report of some sort. The...
Scale ready "hits"
There’s a list of songwriters who've had the most number one songs in history of modern music. First place goes to Paul McCartney, then there’s John Lennon, ...
The difference-o-meter
I’m a firm believer in focusing on delivering results for people. And there’s no better way of doing it than to create an experience that delivers those resu...
Single target market(s)
Several years ago, there was a TV commercial here in US for a diet pill called “Leptoprin”. It started out with a question, "When is a diet pill worth $153 a...
The big idea
There’s a lot of talk going on in the marketing circles about The Big Idea. The discussion is mostly about how to present whatever it is that you're doing in...
Monetizing your podcast
I don’t know if you've noticed... There are a lot of podcasts in the world right now. It’s becoming the cool thing to have. But, as with anything, you’ve got...
Personality vs automation
There’s two things your weekly flagship email needs to achieve. One is, to be the carrier for your Super Signature. So you make it easy for your prospects to...
The bulldog technique
Most business owners measure the quality of their leads by the amount of transactions they do in the first 90-days. Take a look at any business, (but real es...
Fame vs riches
Most businesses focus on branding and building top-of-mind awareness in the marketplace. While it may seem like a common wisdom and a very wise thing to do… ...
"Largest check” clients
Selecting a single target market is always tricky. And it’s especially hard early on in your business when you don’t want to limit yourself and deliberately ...
Super signature
Imagine that every time you send out your flagship email you’re inviting your prospects into your living room. Then, when people come to your house, you have...
Compelling vs convincing
Here’s the thing about online marketing... You get the best results when: 1) you isolate the work you need to do initially into separate steps, and, 2) you f...
Christmas
I’ve got great news for you... I’ve hatched an evil scheme for your best Christmas promotion ever. And since it’s only 10 weeks till it’s Christmas again… I ...
No thanks, I'm just looking
Have you been to a “Jennifer Leathers” before? They're a furniture store and all they sell is leather sofas. But what’s interesting about them is... They’re ...
"Just buy the book, Dummy" - Gary Halbert
Writing about Soap Opera thinking last week, got me thinking about one of the most pleasantly surprising things that ever happened to me. I was fortunate to ...
Big opportunities in thinking small
Have you ever heard of Snapple? It’s an iced tea beverage company here in the US. Here’s something fascinating about them... When Snapple launched their new ...
Bankable Results vs. Mechanisms
Do you know the ONE thing that always sells? Besides that :) It’s the same thing that turns a convincing argument into a compelling offer. And that is... BAN...
How to fill a mastermind or event
If you think you’d like to organize an event, a retreat, or a workshop of any kind, but you have no idea if there’s enough demand for it… Here’s a nice way t...
One Word "Trick" Cures Procrastination. Now.
Here's a thought for Wednesday as you're planning the rest of your week... When I’m procrastinating, which is often, it’s almost always because I’m not exact...
The power of Facebook
Okay, you're going to love today's post... it's a little like eavesdropping on my IM conversation with David Waters... He was telling me that a Status update...
You've been asking about Bing...
Hi there, We've begin a discussion about Bing as a viable option for Pay Per Click (ppc) advertising - like Google and Yahoo. So I "googled" it! :) Essential...
The Truth about Meta Tags
Want to get a top ranking in search engines? No problem! All you need to do is add a few magical "meta tags" to your web pages, and you'll skyrocket to the t...
Twitter message ideas...
Who do you know that's moving to the CT shore in the next 90 days? LivingOnTheCTShore.com 40 homes PERFECT for first-time homebuyers PLUS: Find out how to ge...
Have I mentioned that I love CHUCK in Milton?
Subject: From Chuck In Milton -- We've got a problem here! Body: Hi [firstname], Before I make my big apology, there's still time to register for the Buyer C...
Home Loan Broadcast Message
Here are the stats on the the message... Ron already had someone make an appointment based on this message. Message below: Subject: [firstname], does the tho...
Drumming up business for NOW buyers...
Georgetown -- Rainy and a chilly 64F I was looking for something else and came across this broadcast again... and remember how effective it was at the time.....
Are You Ready For The Great Boom Ahead?
****From: Dean Jackson Winter Haven, FL If you’re seeing what I’m seeing…you know the next six months is shaping up to be one of the biggest opportunities yo...
How to literally "think" and grow rich...
I think you're going to like this one. It's the most impactful free way I know to grow your business this year. http://marketingmonday.com/think-and-grow-ric...
Have you tapped the power of Get Response for your Listings?
Tuesday, I finally finished a Blog for Marketing Your Listings Online -- I personally think it's helpful... and here's why... Denise Carlson generously allow...
Check the pulse of your website
Click the image above to see a short video on "checking the pulse" of your website 3 things we're looking for: Number of Clicks (Google Adwords and Yahoo!) N...
Recap of Academy Call 4/2/09 - Super Signature
SOCIAL NETWORKING SUPER SIGNATURE TWITTER SOCIAL NETWORKING (Sorry, I was on another call for this portion) THE SUPER SIGNATURE The idea is to sneak in below...
Marketing Monday!
!(http://www.moneymakingwebsites.com/images/mmw90.jpg) From: Winter Haven, FL Sunny and perfect 82 I don't know if you've noticed - but things are starting t...
Persistence pays off!
**You know, I don't want to hear that people who don't leave phone numbers aren't 5-stars! Here's my evidence... The prospect, Nathan, responded to the 1st a...
Happy President's Day (Thankful for Obama's GIFT)
Happy President's Day! I've got a few things for you to take a look at today. First, Thursday is the start of the GettingListings.com Live Teleclass...and th...
An Inside Look at a $360,000 Listing-Getting system
![book(http://gettinglistings.com/marketingmonday/images/chuckcover2.jpg)] Last week I was talking with Chuck Charlton...and he was sharing his results with ...
How to use Facebook Targeted Ads to get your message in front of EXACTLY the right people
You've probably seen the little ads on the right side of your Facebook profile, and in other places on the site. They kind of look like this: Well, the good ...
Marketing Monday!
This week I've got a super easy strategy for you to try on Facebook to announce your new listings in less than 5-minutes. Last week I showed you how to "PIMP...
The 50-Minute Focus Finder!
Let's kick off the New Year with a focus on FOCUS. Watch this video. It's 50 minutes long. Can you focus for 50 minutes straight? Your FOCUS muscle is the mo...
Breaking News!!
] This just in... Chuck and Melissa Charlton just gave birth to a beautiful (*according to Chuck -- who claims to be completely unbiased), baby girl. News an...
How to Link an Image to a URL in Typepad - using Typelist
Click here to see watch the video I made using Jing -- (thanks Nanci and Dean!) !(http://content.screencast.com/users/MoneyMakingWebsites/folders/Jing/media/...
Marketing Monday!
Get the Flash Player to see this player. Here is a video I shot with my good buddy Joe Polish recently. I was in Phoenix for a Main Event, and we decided to ...
Happy Thanksgiving!
Dean and I are heading over to my parents' new condo at Cape Canaveral! It's a beautiful, sunny day, and we're both thankful for that! Even more so, we are t...
MarketingMonday - Productivity Month Continues...
!(http://marketingmonday.com/images/logo1.jpg) This week: ** Special Interview with Tim Ferriss, author of 4 Hour Work Week. ** Dear Friend, My friend Tim Fe...
Seth Godin - Wise words about Connecting to make money...
I'm just going to say it. Seth Godin's a genius. Dean Jackson's not far behind... what's the 2nd business that we talk about within your website? CONNECTING!...
Marketing Monday! (cool new productivity tools)
This week, I've got some cool online productivity tools to help keep you on track. Watch this video, and I'll walk you through... Here are the links: TadaLis...
How much time do you spend online? (really)
Jesse turned me on to this FREE tracking site that shows how much time you spend online...and which categories you spend the most time on. It's amazing. Ever...
Marketing Monday! (November is productivity month)
We kicked off Productivity Month with a 50-Minute video from the Bankable Results Summit in Las Vegas. If you didn't get a chance to watch it...take the time...
Marketing Monday!
Writing powerful headlines is a killer marketing skill. A great headline has the ability to stop people in their tracks, and win their most valuable (and sca...
Marketing Monday!
The single biggest question I've been getting this season is "What do I do with these listings that just aren't selling?" Here's what I'd do: http://www.mark...
It just keeps getting better!
Hey there! I just spent a little quality time with my buddy Jennifer Elmslie here in Georgetown. She wanted to take her Marketwatch Blog "Up a notch" -- sinc...
How Approachable ARE you?
Can you think of the last time someone just approached you out of the blue and started a conversation? I was thinking about it myself, and in my experience i...
Marketing Monday!
I don't mean to alarm you...but I believe summer is almost over, and it's back to school time :) To me, the fall always feels like a fresh start -- and what ...
Personalitization and Simplicity Really Pays Off!
One of my favorite examples of personalitization and a simple idea really paid off big today for Daily Candy founder Dany Levy. She sold the company to Comca...
Revitalize your Marketwatch -- Using a blog
Background story -- We set up a new MarketwatchBlog here in Georgetown -- and decided to strategically go after 5-star prospects to access it. So, we sent th...
**It's come to my attention that several people have received this, or a similar message from "google" lately. =========================== Subject:** Reactiv...
Can You Spot The Weasel?
Have you ever heard the term "weasel words"? They are words designed to give a marketer wiggle room on a claim. They're easy to spot...and when you spot them...
Did you know?
I've been working away on the new 30 Referrals in 30 Touchpoints program, and found some interesting stats in my research. For instance...did you know women ...
How To Figure Out What To Do First
One of the things that I have to constantly overcome is the desire to multi-task. For me, the multi-tasking temptation takes the form of wanting to work on s...
When You EXCUSE yourself...you ACCUSE yourself
I heard that thought a few weeks ago and I've been trying to find a situation where that statement isn't true. I can't. It's becoming crystal clear to me tha...
Can Happiness Be a Habit?
I was very interested to see the results of our survey this week. A simple question. "Are you happy?" I voted "yes". I don't know why I was surprised, but wh...
Duncan's Ugly Yellow Signs
Okay, well, this is my modification of one of John's Ugly Yellow Signs... I've finally got these publisher files loaded, so that you can use the templates, h...
My notes & thoughts from the Academy...
Remember how Tiger Woods wrote a book called ***How I play golf... ***? This is kind of like that -- What I took away from the academy... now the details of ...
How To Skyrocket Your Productivity and Get The Most Out Of Your Day
This week we’re going to talk about a concept that has the potential to skyrocket your productivity and really help you get the most out of each day. I almos...
Are You Ready For a Change?
Sometimes I struggle with people who are not getting the results they want in their business. I know exactly how to help them...but it seems to be an uphill ...
MiltonMarketwatch BLOG - Chuck Charlton 3/20/08
Chuck was faithfully mailing the Marketwatch every 2 weeks and found that he was falling short in the bonding process because he didn't have an internet base...
This could get interesting...
I just read an article about a woman in California who is suing her real estate agent because her house went down in value. She says he deliberately didn't t...
Entertainment vs. Sustainment
] Do you look at your business as something to entertain you, or sustain you? A lot of people act like the purpose of their business is to entertain them. "I...
Marketing Monday
Do You have what it takes to be a MAVEN? The rewards for being the Go-To-Source for your niche are HUGE...but it's not for everyone. This week, I'd like to i...
Marketing Monday!
Do you know why we always know whose "turn" it is to buy at Starbucks? Or, why we can never seem to turn down aunt Bertha's offer of a second piece of pie? I...
Is There A Story Hidden In Your Business?
Have you ever seen the J. Peterman Catalog? It's perhaps the most interesting Catalog you'll ever see. The don't even call it a Catalog....they call it an "O...
Learning from the Masters...
Our good friends at Proctor and Gamble have done it again. They've created a content site for pet owners called PetSide.com This site is a killer example of ...
Seth is on a roll...
Here's something interesting Seth Godin had to say on his blog today. It was a post titled "The 7% Solution" Okay, it's a simple idea: If you're a real estat...
Marketing Monday!
Greetings from Las Vegas. Marketing Monday is up and ready to listen. This week is a second interview with Dean Graziosi, and this time he's sharing some kil...
Joe Torre and the Psychology of Persuasion
G'day DailyDashboarders, On my walk this morning I came across a great refresher on my iPod from the "60-Second Science" podcast at Scientific American where...
SEO Tip of the Month: Blogging is Key
So this was in my inbox today -- thought you'd enjoy taking a look. !Blog Tips(http://nfpromotions.netfirms.com/newsletter/seo-blog-tips.gif) Blogging is key...
The Core is the CORE
Lately, I've been thinking about what the essence of the real estate business is. At it's CORE it's really about doing two things. It's about helping buyers ...
Referrals are LEADS too...
Take a close look at the two identical 5-Star Prospects represented here. Can you tell which one was referred by Mary...and which one was referred by a Publi...
How APPROACHABLE Are You?
Can you think of the last time someone just approached you out of the blue and started a conversation? I was thinking about it myself, and in my experience i...
John Duncan & Sharon's step 8 -- handwritten note
Hi Bob, Seems we had a hard time connecting this week and I wanted to get in touch with you so I could send relevant information for your situation. Could yo...
The VERY BEST of Marketing Monday Season One
It's official. The Fall Market is here....and that means a brand new season of the MarketingMonday.com Live Podcast. Next week is the big Season 2 premiere.....
YES!
Are you giving your prospects an opportunity to say yes? Or, are you hoping they'll give YOU an opportunity to say yes? When you make a direct suggestion to ...
NewInformation!:
Welcome to the second in a three part series on optimizing your website marketing. Last week we talked about converting leads into clients, and this week we’...
NewInformation!:
This week we’re going to start our first in a three-week series about optimizing your results with your website. By far, my number one request for help is ab...
How do I get RIGHT NOW business?
**Call your past clients. ** That's the most surefire way to find someone who is ready to buy right now. One of our members told me that she called a past cl...
Seriously folks... about those summer doldrums...
August comes along and I start getting the calls... If the market slows in August, it slows in August. You can check and see if this is an anomaly or if it i...
Desire vs. Decision
I heard a great distinction today. Desire vs. Decision Lots of people have DESIRE -- Desire to change, to make more money, to lose weight, to build a referra...
NewInformation!:
This week: Five Important Lessons You Can Learn From The Biggest Brand Building Companies In The World… Over the past several months, I’ve been doing a lot o...
Jump Start Your Brain...
Do you ever have a hard time deciding what to work on next? I mean, you've got all these ideas of things you want to do, and a seemingly endless supply of ev...
How To Write Killer Headlines...
One of my favorite things in the world is to come up with a great headline. I put a lot of time and energy into making sure that each headline I write is goi...
Weekend Reading...
Here are three great blog posts I found this week: Why do people refer? What If You Only Sold One Thing? How To Create A Personal Productivity Scafold Enjoy...
Weekend Reading...
Meet Gamal Aziz. He's head of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He's got a fascinating way of looking at constant improvement, by really asking a better question. ...
Today is DECISION day...
OR Today is going to be a madhouse at the Apple store near you. Millions of people are going to walk out of an apple store with the most connectd device in h...
Hello, My Name Is Scott...
Made a new friend this weekend. Meet Scott Ginsberg. He's been wearing a nametag 24/7 since November 2000. He says it makes people friendlier. I've been catc...
YouTube is coming to iPhone
If there's ever been a reason for you to really get a handle on this YouTube thing...this could be it. June 29 is going to usher in a new era of marketing op...
How I Get Things Done
I showed this video at Strategic Forum, as an example of how to creat simple videos using the video function on your digital camera. The thing everyone wants...
One more reason to get Video Savvy...quickly
Just read an article about Google's new plans to start displaying "universal search results" -- which means video will be coming up on the main-page search r...
Questions for today's call
First of all, I want to thank you all for coming on the call and having such a lively discussion. Your input is what makes this group so very great!**** **1....
How Much Is a $100 Bill Worth?
Joe and I were doing some situational coaching last night at the Chicago Main Event, and a common theme seemed to be "how can I sell this listing?" This morn...
Top Google Ranking in 48 Hours?
Is it possible? Check this out. Do a quick Google Video search on "Evil Schemes"...and tell me why you're waiting to get a video on YouTube. Take THAT Evil Z...
Another modification to email 1
ps -- What is your time frame for moving? Here's a good comment I just pulled off the Dashboard Light from Doug MacDonald -- for those who are hesitant to co...
Suggestions from today's call
TOP PRODUCER Set up Follow-up Plans in Top Producer for leads that come in... MW with phone MW without phone Home Loan With Phone Home Loan Without Phone Sel...
Links of the Day
Just a couple of cool things I came across today... My friend Josh Hallet is blogging the WOMMA* conference in New Orleans this week. There is lots of good s...
Last week - getresponse
Last week getresponse was having issues with the removal link code -- it was showing in html format. You may <a size="3">unsubscribe< /font> or <a size="3">c...
IT'S MOVING DAY!!!
GUESS WHAT? We bought a building and today is moving day at World Headquarter... We're just going from 900 to 302 Martinique Drive -- into a great 2-story bu...
I think you're going to love me (even more)
I had a great session in the Evil Scheme Hatchery today. It was quiet, and I was thinking...about you. I was thinking, "what would I do right now, if I were ...
Happy Monday
I just went through a very interesting exercise for Marketing Monday this week. It's amazing to me how many people have websites that are completely focused ...
Academy Discussion about Free Posting Sites
From Bob Ranger of Scottsdale-Paradise Valley, AZ Hello All: Attached are the free sites we discussed in Orlando. I have found a few more that are for the lo...
Great True Story
My friend David Wecker, just sent me a new video he just posted on YouTube. It's the first in a series of "True Story" videos he'll be posting in the next li...
THIS is my Crystal Ball
Last week, if you were on our Internet Academy call, you would have heard me prognosticate about the number of people who are (even out of curiosity) searchi...
Logic or Logistics?
Something just became very clear for me today. I've been talking (and talking...and talking) about the value of MAIL vs Email for your Bonding business. Toda...
9,826,099
That's how many times this video has been viewed on YouTube so far. Go ahead and watch it. I'll wait. There is a marketing lesson here. This demonstrates the...
How To Learn From Other Industries...
Just read about an article published in the January issue of Investment Advisor magazine several points in an article called Stepping Up - How the best advis...
Greetings From Palm Springs
This is probably the 12th time I've done a Main Event in Palm Springs...but I never get tired of the scenery. There's something relaxing about the palm trees...
Even MORE Good News!
I don't know what to say. More good news in my inbox...not even 2 hours after I apparently won the lottery. They say good things come in 3's...so I can't wai...
Wahoooo!!
Well...according to an official email in my inbox this morning, it looks like I've come in to some good luck. I'll just let the email explain it: ** ** Dear ...
Greetings from Seattle (the coldest, rainiest place on earth)
Quite the contrast for me over the last few days. Started out in non-stop-sunny Phoenix at Desert Mountain (beautiful by the way) for a few days of golf -- a...
Cold Calling and Success
Is cold-calling a success training ground? I know that call reluctance is a success deterent. Terry Hunefeld and I were talking about this between sessions a...
Know Your Numbers (part 2)
If all the "hard" numbers are working..and you're getting leads in an acceptable range, for an acceptable amount of money, it's time to look at the "soft" nu...
Seth Godin's advice...
"Focusing obsessively on one niche, one feature and one market is almost always a better idea than trying to satisfy everyone." Does this sound like somethin...
NewInformation!:
I've been feeling out of touch lately. I'm in the middle of an unusually hectic travel schedule. The Academy in Toronto set in motion a whirlwind tour where ...
Sunny and 45 at 9:33am!
Gorgeous autumn day in the big T.O.! So we've geared up for the big day. For those of you not hear, we beg your patience, as we've been overrun with people w...
Sony's Soapbox of the Week
Hi Guys and Gals... Tell me something. Do you have more than one town in your market (served by the website) that's over 30,000 people? Over the past week, i...
Are you an Enthusiast?
Your prospects are. The're ENTHUSIASTIC in their pursuit of the perfect house for their family. They think about it ALL the time. They're searching online. T...
This just in...
Just found these interesting stats...and I thought I'd share them: 31.4% of Americans don't have internet access. 90% of the people in France have not create...
Bonding. Bonding. Bonding.
Just saw this on the Dashboard Light...and I didn't want you to miss it; Connecting and Bonding...I remember from Orlando last March that they seemed to be d...
The Big Summer Offline Traffic Challenge
How are you doing in the race to get non-google/yahoo search traffic? Are you doing things like Classified ads Infobox Fliers Display Ads Ugly yellow signs S...
What would your life look like if...?
Just saw that great question today. "What would your life look like if..." as a thought stimulant to take some new action. What would your life look like if ...
Are You Polishing the Beads All The Way?
!(http://www.harmonia-jewelry.com/medias/collections/gemstones/sets/black_onyx_silver_8mm_full/set.jpg) At the Internet Academy in Orlando, we talked about D...
What Would You Do If There Was No Google?
If you check in the Dashboard Light, you'll see a post wondering about all the google rumors. It reminded me of how much I talk about using alternatives to g...
Continuing with FUTURE week...
!(http://www.rocketboom.net/images/archive/rb_06_feb_28.jpg) Do you know Amanda Congdon? She's become the most famous woman on the internet, through a daily ...
Tool of the Day
Just checking out some of the posts in the Dashboard Light, and it reminded me of this simple postcard you can send to the people who inquire about moving to...
"But That Would Take Too Long..."
**....And OTHER thoughts that lead to mediocrity. **Writing personal, bonding emails that come from a real person every week or two does indeed take longer t...
June Is Bonding Month
In June we continue our march through the 4 Big Businesses you're running. The Lead Getting Business The Connecting Business The Bonding Business The Showing...
My Brand New Sneakers
Got some new sneakers this weekend. Went in to a pretty busy running store in Georgetown and heard the guy ask a couple of people before me if he could help ...
Academy CD's Have Arrived!!
Here they are sitting on my dining room table. If you havent already indicated that you'd like a copy on a message board just go there now and find the post ...
One Purpose (at a time)
Let's take our PRECISION discussion to the next step. The purpose of the 7-Step Connection Process is to CONNECT with a prospect. It's not to convince him to...
Precision
I woke up today with the word PRECISION on my mind. It's been floating around all day..and has been flavoring some of my phone conversations. This is sort of...
What's the FIRST thing you say?
When you're talking to a MarketWatch prospect for the first time, what are the first words out of your mouth? How do you start the conversation? I've been th...
Personalitization...
Here's a great example of a bonding message from Chuck Charlton: Hi John, As we make our way towards the long weekend, my wife Melissa and I just wanted to w...
How about a Connecting and Bonding Intensive in Toronto?
I've been thinking about the Academy in Toronto this September, and how it might be a great idea to focus exclusively on the Connecting business and the Bond...
What a Weekend!
Wow! what a great weekend ! It was great to see everybody, and it really did my heart good to see how many people came in "early" to get together in small gr...
Google Content Search
Apparently Google is out "pushing" their Content Search program. You may be getting an email from them that says, Greetings from Google AdWords: We notice yo...
Could you grow your business by 1500% this year?
I'm working on my newsletter for this month, and I'm writing about that INVESTMENT mindset. What spurred it on was the big gain in Starbucks on Thursday. It ...
Fixing Outgoing Mail
One of the new features of our server is that you're now able to send mail using your own domain (as to where before some of you had to use your own service ...
Let's see what we can delegate!
I've been thinking it might be a good idea to post up a step-by-step automate-your-MarketWatch system. I'm going to post up one step at a time. The first ste...
More Thoughts on Delegation...
Just had dinner with Ken Buck and his new wife Erin, and Jan Cotten last night in Palm Springs. We were talking about MarketWatch and lead follow up, and buy...
More Thoughts on Delegation...
Just had dinner with Ken Buck and his new wife Erin, and Jan Cotten last night in Palm Springs. We were talking about MarketWatch and lead follow up, and buy...
So that means...
] Go ahead and start your google and overture back up ] "Twas the night before Christmas... Wow! I can't believe how quickly the holidays have come. Sony and...
Year End Numbers
Well. It's getting close to the end of the year. Have you done your numbers for the year? The big thing is to at least look at the BIG 4: How many leads did ...
How Tom Sawyer Would Do MarketWatch
At the Academy in Toronto this fall...I shared how I prepared an entire MarketWatch mailing without leaving my comfy chair...and brought one for every person...
OK...Time to get back to work!
I hope you had a GREAT Thanksgiving! I really needed a break. It seems like I was really been on the go for the last couple of months....Toronto to Chicago.....
Crockpotting some good ideas
Just a quck note to let you know I made it to Monterey. I was listening to Gerry Spences new book on CD on the way down...and I'm crockpotting some really co...
Information Isn't Enough
The internet is getting better. People are getting better at using the internet. Information is becoming easier and easier to find...and less and less scarce...
Saturday Tour Success
Talked with Tom Cook yesterday in Toronto, and he shared with me that so far this month they've had over 20 people sign up for a Saturday Tour of homes. I've...
Listing Teleseminar Update
It's 2:30 right now. As I write this there are 34 spaces remaining for the Listing Teleseminar. My Newsletter is going to go out to 13,764 subscribers at 3:0...
PIMP my MarketWatch!
Have you ever seen that show "PIMP my Ride" on MTV where they take old beat up cars and fix them up so they're spectacular? One of the things we talked about...
Wow! What a Weekend..
Well, we had a GREAT weekend at the Internet Academy in Toronto. Jesse, and Sony, organized an incredible location for us, and some really cool activities. T...
An Inside Look with Ken Montville
Ken Montville discovered 3 ½ years ago that the key to having a successful website is to have a follow up system in place, that's when he decided to impleme...
Back To School...Time to focus on the BIG three
I can't believe how fast the summer wet by...but it's back to school time now, and time to focus on the BIG THREE skills that will make you the most money be...
Little Hinges Open BIG Doors
How much more money would you make if you could increase your conversion rate by 2 out of 100? 2 additional people out of every 100 leads? If you're generati...
An Inside Look with Katie McCabe
SearchVancouverHomes.com was Katie's first real estate advertising that she implemented 2 years ago and has since become one of our rising stars. Working wit...
Thought of the day...
People do what they WANT to do....not what YOU want them to do. Don't fight it. Align your behavior with their wants. They want to communicate by email inste...
When is a diet pill worth $153?
Have you ever seen that commercial? The one for Leptoprin....the weight loss suplement specially formulated for people who need to lose 20, 30, 40 pounds or ...
Are You Focused On What You Can Control?
One of the things I've been working on for the Fall Internet Academy is the concept of Control. There are certain things you CAN control...and certain things...
Fall Internet Academy - Platinum Edition
Saturday, September 24th 2005 Pantages Hotel & Spa - Downtown Toronto This year's Internet Academy is going to be about options. We're going to look at some ...
Puppetry of the Prospect...
I had this vision yesterday of what it's like sometimes in the initial moments of a telephone conversation with a new prospect. It's more like two puppets ta...
3 Key Success Ingredients...
I've been working on a new QuickStart program to help people get started with their websites, and I discovered the REAL keys to success. It takes 3 things to...
Minimum Service?
A new bill that outlines the MINIMUM service requirements for real estate transactions in Texas will become law on September 1st. Discount brokers are oppose...
Consumption = Connection
As soon as you can get someone CONSUMING your information. ie Reading your MarketWatch Newsletters and updates of new listings, looking forward to your new u...
More Proof that trying (a little) harder works wonders...
**So, I get this message from Paula Wright yesterday: ** *Hi Dean, *Well I read your entry about personalization on the bulleting board and decided to kick i...
Focus on ROI
Here's the simple way to think about your Return on Investment. How much does it cost you for 100 leads? Let's say $2000 ( 100 leads x $20/lead) How much do ...
The 10 Most Important Numbers You can Track (and what they mean)
At the internet Academy in Florida this year, we talkied a lot about AWARENESS and what it means to know your numbers. Here are the definitions of the most i...
Attraction Isn't A Choice...
One of my best friends develops informaiton products for Men who want to be more successful in dating. It's a VERY successful business. One of the foundation...
Bond Like Your Life Depended On it...
I can divide my year cleanly into two parts. Florida in the winter...and Georgetown in the summer. For some reason, Georgetown seems to be the more productiv...
The $179,000,000 Voice Mail...
I read the most amazing thing in Wednesday's USA Today. A stock promoter near Orlando was charged in an elaborate Voice Mail Scam to raise investments in thi...
Cream Skimming...
Have you ever thought about what it would be like if you just decided to "skim the cream" with your MarketWatch leads? Now it seems odd for me to be even sug...
Personalitization
I just made up a word. Personalitization. It's much more important than personalization....which can be faked. (Do you really think people fall for those "ha...
More on Meaningful Conversations...
Every time I get Jennifer Elmslie's Halton Hills MarketWatch Update I smile. I smile because she is consistently having a meaningful conversation with her Ma...
The Purpose Of Advertising...
I just came up with my clearest ever definition of advertising. The Purpose of Advertising is to MULTIPLY MONEY! It's not to get or keep your name out there....
"Meaningful Conversations"
I've been thinking about those words for some time now. It's clear to me that meaningful conversations are what build relationships. And it's also clear to m...
Don't Be Afraid To Ask...
I was talking to someone yesterday about the 5-Star Prospect dialogue, and I realized the one thing that most people do not do is ASK the most important ques...
HowRemarkableAre You?
** Are you and your service remarkable...or do you do what MOST Realtors and Lenders do? There is lots of opportunity to be remarkable, if you're willing to ...
More On Remote Control...
It seems that this Remote Control Real Estate idea is a big hit in the Dashboard Light. I was sharing on the Academy call yesterday afternoon that my vision ...
Who Is On Your Top 10 List?
April is a great time to stop and take a look at your progress so far. In most areas of the country, we're moving in to the busiest time of the year for home...
How Valuable Is What You're Doing All Day?
There's a great discussion going on inside the Dashboard Light about Virtual Assistants, and the merits thereof. I posted my hierarchy of Valuable Activities...
There Are NO Shortcuts...
Well, I'm just starting to come to life again. It was BAD for the last 4 days. There are a lot of doctors in my little neighborhood, and one of them stopped ...
Intensification, Expansion...and CHOCOLATE CAKE!
Our natural tendency when we want to grow our business is to start thinking about EXPANDING out into other areas. Mistakenly thinking that fishing in a bigge...
Persuasion Architecture
I've been thinking about something. It seems to me, that Hearts = Faces is a pretty big leap. The = sign is really meant to be the transition out of the CYBE...
March Checklist and Spring Cleaning
March is a great time to start checking in with everyone who is on your MarketWatch newsletter to find out what their plans are for the spring. It's also a g...
Internet Academy Notes...
We had another really great Academy Weekend in Orlando, and if you missed it...start planning NOW to join us in Toronto in September. The focus this time was...
Word of the day: S-I-M-P-L-I-C-I-T-Y
John Duncan stumbled on the word of the day today...and I like it. Simplicity is such a good thing. Most of the problems that come up in your business, can p...
Internet Academy Homework...
If you're coming to the Academy Workshop, one of the things we're going to do is a few in depth business analysis...analyses...analysises....um..we're going ...
Very Nice MarketWatch Message...
Here's a great example of a weekly MarketWatch update...from Jen and Tony in Georgetown. Jen is naturally "sassy" and I encouraged her to put her personality...
This Does My Heart Good...
John Duncan is on his way to winning friends and influencing people. Here's his latest MarketWatch update message: **Subject: Clear Lake MarketWatch UPDATE -...
What I learned Yesterday Afternoon....
I spent yesterday afternoon talking to people about their website...it was very fun. Thanks to all who played. The spots filled up very quickly and I'm sorry...
Too Sore To Golf -- Want to talk about your website?
In case you noticed my absence from the Daily Dashboard,I've literally been on my back since Friday. Hurt my back like I've never hurt it before. (I can only...
New Year's Resolutions...(suggested) :)
Happy New Year! I'm really excited about this year...it's going to be awesome! I hope you made some New Year's Resolutions...and set some Goals for yourself ...
CWS Power Zone #2:
] The First 7 Days! Once or twice a year, we run a little test to see who's doing what in follow up. We set up a "mystery identity" and go into 100 websites ...
CWS Power Zone #2:
The First 7 Days! Once or twice a year, we run a little test to see who's doing what in follow up. We set up a "mystery identity" and go into 100 websites an...
The Psychology of "Bonding"
John Duncan shared a pretty cool experience on the Dashboard Light message board, and I wrote a pretty long response about the psychology of why he got that ...
CWS Power Zone #1:
The First 24 Hours The Certified WoW! Specialist is focused on what I'm going to call the Power Zones -- where little efforts can make a BIG impact. The firs...
Could You Replace Yourself Completely?
Writing that last post...I remembered what got me hooked on delegation. Or at least thinking in that direction. It was Tom Peter's book "The Pursuit of Wow!"...
Who Says It Has To Be YOU?
Don't complain (or compromise)...DELEGATE! Who says YOU have to be the one to do MarketWatch? What if you could concentrate on wrting the nice personal bondi...
"But That Would Take Too Long...."
....And OTHER thoughts that lead to mediocrity. Writing personal, bonding emails that come from a real person every week or two does indeed take longer than ...
Personality Beats Sterility
I've been watching conversion processes in action for the past few weeks, and I'm more amazed than ever! For several weeks I have been getting the EXACT SAME...
Buying "Direct Keywords" Does Not Work
A few people have been asking me about this new offer going around, where you can buy a "direct keyword" and whenever someone types that word in to google it...
Top 10 Ways To Get More Leads #7:
InfoBox Fliers! I believe that dollar for dollar, nothing is more powerful than a flier in the hands of a person who's interested enough in a particular hous...
Forget the CRS -- Become a CWS
I'm always amazed at how much time Realtors invest in getting designations like CRS, FRI, CRB and all kinds of other alphabet designations. I question whethe...
One More Google Tip!
I almost forgot... Another thing you want to monitor on your google account are FLUFFY keywords. By that I mean, keywords that are not VERY specifically mean...
Top 10 Ways To Get More Leads #6:
Maximize Your Google Acount! For most of you, Google is the number one source of traffic, and the number one expense you have each month. It's a good idea fo...
Big Chamber Of Commerce Win For Jan Burton!
Jan Burton just sent me an email about her experience calling the Chamber of Commerce in Gilbert Ariizona. Here's what she says: Hi Dean I took your suggesti...
What To Email Chamber Of Commerce Inquirers
Here's a few ideas you can use with the chamber of commerce: If they offer you an ad in their publications...use one of the display ads in the Academy Librar...
Top 10 Ways To Get More Leads #5:
Shake The Tree More Often! I'm always amazed at results that people get when they send messages to their GetResponse.com list. Take a look at the message eve...
Top 10 Ways To Get More Leads #4:
The Chamber Of Commerce List! I disovered this about 12 years ago when I was developing the "Guide To Halton Hills" system. In every town I've checked, the C...
News from the Academy...
We always learn something new at the academy... As the week goes on & I work through the 931 requests that the academy generated, I'll post them. First thing...
Info from calls
Hi guys, Apparently during Jackie's call about Top Producer, there were some requests on how to do some things. She's sent the info to me -- and I've posted ...
Summer School!
For August and September, leading up to the Fall Academy in Toronto, I want to work on the things you need the most help with. What is the one thing you'd li...
First In The Mind Wins...
I'm re-reading one of my favorite marketing books of all time...it's called Positioning. The book talks about the fact that the mind can only hold a few thin...
Focus On The First Experience
What drives the success or failure of your internet marketing is your prospect's FIRST experience with you. That's why I put so much emphasis on encouraging ...
The problem with search engine optimization
I just found a great article about search engine optimization that summarizes exactly how I feel about it. here Check it out. The key point of all of it, is ...
"How do I get more visitors?"
What should you do if you want to get more visitors to your site? Here's my list...in order of what I would do if I were you. 1. I would MAXIMIZE the total n...
10 Minute Listing Maintenance
Hi, Some of you have noticed issues with the 10 minute listings lately -- items in particular were creation of nonsensical listing names, erasing previous li...
Referral Guide
Hi, I just had an email from someone who was missing from her state. My original intent was to ensure that the MAJOR markets were covered - which they are. I...
Content Vs. Search : Instant Improvement
I just finished checking the numbers for one of our sites, and what I found confirms once again the difference in search vs. content matching. When using sea...
What's The Big Lesson?
I was just thinking... What's the biggest lesson you've learned, or the key to your success with your website. Was there one thing you finally "got" on a dee...
Numbers Check Up...
It seems like a lot of people wonder if they're "doing it right" or if their numbers are ok...so here's a quick review of how the numbers should work: EYEBAL...
Thinking outside the Box...
This is a little bit old, but is a great example of thinking outside of the box. Gina Martinelli - out in Sonoma County California - got her site up & runnin...
A Great MarketWatch Example
If you have the ability to save searches on your MLS to a page where people can go and visit them, you may be able to do MarketWatch like this... Some of you...
Traffic Merchants...
I'm starting to get calls that start like this: "Hey Dean, have you ever heard of these guys? They say they can get me lots of visitors to my website..." I'v...
All About Home Buyer Workshops...
Are you using homebuyer workshops as a pillar of your business? If you are, I've got some helpful ideas for you. I'll start by posting a homebuyer workshop f...
The Envelope Please...
After much deliberation and discussion, we have narrowed down the field of Name-The-Messageboard entries to three finalists. a) The Dashboard Light -- Erick ...
The Party Is On Inside...
I think this messageboard is catching on! If you're missing the party...it's easy to get started. Step 1: Click on the big blue message board banner to the l...
Lead Conversion Multiplier #5
Think of FINDING a 5-star prospect as the beginning...not the end. Finding 5-star prospects is NOT lead conversion. It's just the start of the lead conversio...
Greetings from Atlanta...
Hi guys, I'm in Atlanta (Callaway Gardens actually) at The Main Event. I just ran into Miles Long from www.livinginpeachtreecity.com and he's very excited si...
Lead Conversion Multiplier #4
**Have LONGER Conversations ** There are two keys to this. First, it's important to have a conversation with people instead of an interrogation. The more con...
Lead Conversion Multiplier #2
Make ALL Seven Contact Attempts In 7 - 10 Days If you increase the speed of starting the connection process, and decrease the amount of time it takes you to ...
Lead Conversion Multiplier #3
Treat Everyone Like a 5-Star Prospect! One of the big mistakes I see...or sense...when I'm talking to people who are having trouble with conversion, is that ...
What a Weekend!
Wow! We had a GREAT time this weekend in Winter Haven! We had 63 people at the internet Academy on Saturday where we spent the whole day talking about ways t...
The Art Of Lead Conversion
People always ask me what the most important element for being a successful internet marketer is. Far and away the biggest factor for success is lead convers...
The Year In Review...
Do you ever wonder how you're doing compared to other people who are using the same website as you? Me too. Here's what I know for sure. For every 100 people...
The Year In Review...
] Do you ever wonder how you're doing compared to other people who are using the same website as you? Me too. Here's what I know for sure. For every 100 peop...
New Upgrades on 10MinuteListings!
You might have noticed an early Christmas gift in your 10MinuteListing stocking this weekend. We've been working on a few improvements here to make the progr...
NewInformation! Letter
Are you getting the NewInformation! Marketing Letter every month? If not...go to NewInformationLetter.com and get on the list! While you're there, you can re...
February Academy News
Here's what we know so far... The February Academy will be Saturday Feb 7th, 2004. We're going to schedule some golf -- Dean's in charge of the real stuff - ...
My Little Google Secret
I have a little trick to share with you today. Not too long ago Google launched a new tool called News Alerts. This tool allows you to specify keywords and l...
How to Set Up Your Listings on 10MinuteListing
Here's an updated version of 'How to Set Up Your Listings'. This guide will show you step by step how to: -Create an Agent Listings Site -How to Create a New...
10MinuteListings.com
Join Jesse tomorrow (Thursday) at 1:30pm Eastern for a walk-through of our newest addition to your web-marketing system...10minutelistings.com He'll explain ...
Magic Autoresponder Words
Here's a quick tip for broadcasting to your GetResponse.com prospect list. The most powerful words I've discoverd for getting a great response to your broadc...