I am reading six books right now, which is normal for me, because I like to read various books, each one offsetting the other. I think we stay focused for about 20 minutes on a subject so I like to jump whemn my mind wanders.One fiction, one business book, one book that makes me think, etc.
I just realized I also have them broken out by four devices and five formats , and each format seems to fit the type of book it is and I am reading and I find that interesting. Each book type reads better on a certain format. Here is what I am reading right now, and on what. 1. On my cell phone I am reading Makers by Chris Anderson - a great book on the futre of manufacturing, really a great read, and makes me think and re-evaluate my business thinking. Reads great in small chunks on the go. Makers: The New Industrial Revolution 2. IKIGAI by Sebastian Marshall is a collection of his blog posts on strategy and business and I read this on my ipod around the house during quiet moments. I really like his blog, and this book gives a nice overview. Ikigai 3. On my Kindle I am reading a book of fiction, Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon, an author whose work I love. Wonder Boys: A Novel 4. On my computer I am reading the Boron Letters by Gary Halbart, which is a great small treatise on direct marketing and copy writing. http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Boron/BoronLetterCh1.htm 5. On my kindle, I am also reading Eat to Live, by Joel Fuhrman, which is totally changing how I eat. I first got hooked on smoothies, and that lead to this book. Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss, Revised Edition 6. Finally, I am reading an actual book, the 4 hour Chef by Tim Ferriss. I originally bought it for $5 for the kindle, but saw it in a supermarket, and picked it up, and it is a beautiful book with photos and color layouts, and I just had to buy it. I am improving my cooking, learning to learn, and reading a great adventure book. The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life I have tried reading each of them on in other formats, but these each seem to have fallen into a format that fits its style the best. D WILLPOWER EXPERIMENT: A FIVE-MINUTE BRAIN-TRAINING Breath focus is a simple but powerful meditation technique for training your brain and increasing willpower. Here’s how to get started: 1. Sit still and stay put . Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground, or sit cross-legged on a cushion. Sit up straight and rest your hands in your lap. It’s important not to fidget when you meditate—that’s the physical foundation of self-control. If you notice the instinct to scratch an itch, adjust your arms, or cross and uncross your legs, see if you can feel the urge but not follow it. 2. Turn your attention to the breath. Close your eyes or, if you are worried about falling asleep, focus your gaze at a single spot (like a blank wall, not the Home Shopping Network). Begin to notice your breathing. Silently say in your mind “inhale” as you breathe in and “exhale” as you breathe out. When you notice your mind wandering (and it will), just bring it back to the breath. 3. Notice how it feels to breathe, and notice how the mind wanders. After a few minutes, drop the labels “inhale/exhale.” Try focusing on just the feeling of breathing. You might notice the sensations of the breath flowing in and out of your nose and mouth. Start with five minutes a day. When this becomes a habit, try ten to fifteen minutes a day. If that starts to feel like a burden, bring it back down to five. A short practice that you do every day is better than a long practice you keep putting off to tomorrow. It may help you to pick a specific time that you will meditate every day, like right before your morning shower. If this is impossible, staying flexible will help you fit it in when you can. Even when he was focused on his breath, other thoughts sneaked in. He was ready to give up on the practice because he wasn’t getting better at it as quickly as he hoped, and figured he was wasting his time if he wasn’t able to focus perfectly on the breath. Most new meditators make this mistake, but the truth is that being “bad” at meditation is exactly what makes the practice effective. Science is discovering that self-control is a matter of physiology, not just psychology. It’s a temporary state of both mind and body that gives you the strength and calm to override your impulses. The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It. Join our mailing list and we will send you one to two emails a week for 12 weeks teaching you the basic body weight exercises, nutrition guidelines, and mindset tools you need to be Indestructible. The ad has all the elements you would expect any space ad to have. And to understand this first axiom, I would ask my students to define the purpose of each element in an advertisement. The following is what we finally decided:
1. Headline: To get your attention and draw you to the subheadline. 2. Subheadline: To give you more information and further explain the attention-getting headline. 3. Photo or Drawing: To get your attention and to illustrate the product more fully. 4. Caption: To describe the photo or drawing. An important element and one that is often read. 5. Copy: To convey the main selling message for your product or service. 6. Paragraph Headings: To break up the copy into chunks, thereby making the copy look less imposing. 7. Logo: To display the name of the company selling the product. 8. Price: To let the reader know what the product or service costs. The price could be in large type or could be buried in the copy. 9. Response Device: To give the reader a way to respond to the ad, by using the coupon, toll-free number or ordering information, usually near the end of the ad. 10. Overall Layout: To provide the overall appearance for the ad, by using effective graphic design for the other elements. Axiom #2 All the elements in an advertisement are primarily designed to do one thing and one thing only: get you to read the first sentence of the copy. At this point, there was usually a confused look on the faces of my students. They thought that each of these elements had its own reason for existence. But I was saying, “No, they are there strictly for the sole purpose of get ting you to read the first sentence.” I know what you’re thinking. “What about the headline? Isn’t it supposed to be 16 words long and what about . . .” Stop. Just accept my word at this point that each element (of an ad or copy) has a single purpose and that is to get you to read the first sentence. If somebody asked you for the main purpose of the logo in an advertisement, you could answer, “to establish the corporate integrity of the company selling the product,” or you could answer, “to provide a degree of continuity.” But the real answer is to get you to read the copy. Really. Advertising Secrets of the Written Word: The Ultimate Resource on How to Write Powerful Advertising Copy from One of America's Top Copywriters and Mail Order Entrepreneurs by Joseph Sugarman “And in the end it is not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years.”
― Abraham Lincoln So what are you doing this weekend? Are you planning on learning anything? Are you creating anything? Are you ready to start the business you always wanted, are you doing the things that will get you there? Why not? What is more important than building something new? Will what you did still be with you, still matter one week from now, one year from now? Those are the things that make your life better. This weekend read a chapter of a book. Start your business idea. Make a cold call. Make it happen. Start getting on line, get social. Social sells, social matters, making money involves other people, so making money is social. Use social media, use the phone, meet people on the street, meet people networking, Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, crawl, run, walk, and cold call, but meet people. You need people to make money, and you make money by solving their problems. To solve their problems you have to know their problems. To know their problems, you have to know them. Make a cold call, meet some one new. Yes, new. Go ahead, now is good, I can wait. Bobby Flay say, “Take risks and you’ll get the payoffs. Learn from your mistakes until you succeed. It’s that simple.” D Realize how important it is to know your product and know your customer. It is this specific knowledge that will make a dramatic difference in your ability to communicate your thoughts in copy.
The bottom line for all these approaches is that copywriting is primarily the mental process of first getting your thoughts organized in your mind and then eventually transferring them onto paper. There is no best method—just what works for you. But the best place to start, without question, is to start. That’s right. Pick up a piece of paper and a pen, and start. Do enough of it over a long enough period of time and I guarantee you, you’ll improve each year. Write articles for a local newspaper. I started writing for my high school paper. It gave me experience and confidence. Write letters, write postcards—just plain write every opportunity you can. Another fact to realize about writing copy is that the first draft of an ad is often terrible and the real skill in copywriting is taking that rough draft and polishing it. You might add words, delete entire sentences, change the order of sentences or even paragraphs. It’s all part of the copywriting process. I often pointed out to my students that if everybody in the class were given the assignment of writing a draft of an ad for a product, the first draft of my ad would quite likely be terrible compared to everybody else’s. It is what I do with the copy after my first draft that really makes the difference. In that first draft the goal is to put something—anything— on paper, the emotional outpouring of everything you are trying to convey about your product or service. Don’t worry about how it reads. Just get it down onto something you can work with like a computer screen or a piece of paper and then go from there. Copywriting is a mental process the successful execution of which reflects the sum total of all your experiences, your specific knowledge and your ability to mentally process that information and transfer it onto a sheet of paper for the purpose of selling a product or service. Advertising Secrets of the Written Word: The Ultimate Resource on How to Write Powerful Advertising Copy from One of America's Top Copywriters and Mail Order Entrepreneurs by Joseph Sugarman The best copywriters in the world are those who are curious about life, read a great deal, have many hobbies, like to travel, have a variety of interests, often master many skills, get bored and then look for other skills to master. They hunger for experience and knowledge and find other people interesting. They are very good listeners.
The thirst for knowledge, a tremendous curiosity about life, a wealth of experiences and not being afraid to work are the top credentials for being a good copywriter. Probably one of the most important keys in copywriting and conceptualizing is the ability to relate totally divergent concepts to create a new concept. You need to become an expert on a product, service or anything you write about to really be effective. Becoming an expert means learning enough about a product to obtain enough specific knowledge so you can communicate the real nature of what you are trying to sell. Say to yourself, “I am an expert or have learned enough to be able to effectively communicate this product to the consumer.” That’s what we mean by “specific knowledge.” In addition to knowing your product or service, you’ve really got to know your customer. You’ve got to be an expert on who your customer is by gathering specific information on whom you are selling to. You have a great deal of studying to do to make sure you understand who your customer is and what motivates him or her. In short, the product has a nature of its own and it’s up to you to discover what the nature of that product is in the mind of the consumer. Realize how important it is to know your product and know your customer. It is this specific knowledge that will make a dramatic difference in your ability to communicate your thoughts in copy. Advertising Secrets of the Written Word: The Ultimate Resource on How to Write Powerful Advertising Copy from One of America's Top Copywriters and Mail Order Entrepreneurs by Joseph Sugarman "Conversation is an acquired skill. If you have the determination and the proper information, just like any other skill, it can be learned.
But the fact is that small talk—the kind that happens between two people who don’t know each other—is the most important talk we do. Language is the most direct and effective method for communicating our objectives. So what should your objective be in making small talk? Good question. The goal is simple: Start a conversation, keep it going, create a bond, and leave with the other person thinking, “I dig that person,” or whatever other generational variation of that phrase you want to use. A lot has been said about how one should go about doing that. But in my opinion, the experts have gotten wrong the one thing that works the best. The first thing small-talk experts tend to do is place rules around what can and can’t be said. They claim that when you first meet a person, you should avoid unpleasant, overly personal, and highly controversial issues. Wrong! Don’t listen to these people! Nothing has contributed more to the development of boring chitchatters everywhere. The notion that everyone can be everything to everybody at all times is completely off the mark. Personally, I’d rather be interested in what someone was saying, even if I disagreed, than be catatonic any day. When it comes to making an impression, differentiation is the name of the game. Confound expectation. Shake it up. How? There’s one guaranteed way to stand out in the professional world: Be yourself. I believe that vulnerability—yes, vulnerability—is one of the most under appreciated assets in business today. Too many people confuse secrecy with importance. Business schools teach us to keep everything close to our vest. But the world has changed. Power, today, comes from sharing information, not withholding it. More than ever, the lines demarcating the personal and the professional have blurred. We’re an open-source society, and that calls for open-source behavior. And as a rule, not many secrets are worth the energy required to keep them secret. Being up front with people confers respect; it pays them the compliment of candor. The issues we all care most about are the issues we all want to talk about most. Of course, this isn’t a call to be confrontational or disrespectful. It’s a call to be honest, open, and vulnerable enough to genuinely allow other people into your life so that they can be vulnerable in return. When you realize the best icebreaker is a few words from the heart, the act of starting a conversation becomes far less daunting. Again and again I’m surprised by the power of the vulnerability principle in the art of making small talk. The best way to become good at small talk is not to talk small at all. How another person perceives you is determined by a number of things you do before you utter your first word. • First, give the person a hearty smile. It says, “I’m approachable.” • Maintain a good balance of eye contact. If you maintain an unblinking stare 100 percent of the time, that qualifies as leering. That’s plain scary. If you keep eye contact less than 70 percent of the time, you’ll seem disinterested and rude. Somewhere in between is the balance you’re looking for. • Unfold your arms and relax. Crossing your arms can make you appear defensive or closed. It also signals tension. Relax! People will pick up on your body language and react accordingly. • Nod your head and lean in, but without invading the other person’s space. You just want to show that you’re engaged and interested. • Learn to touch people. Touching is a powerful act. Most people convey their friendly intentions by shaking hands; some go further by shaking with two hands. My favorite way to break through the distance between me and the person I’m trying to establish a bond with is to touch the other person’s elbow. It conveys just the right amount of intimacy, and as such, is a favorite of politicians. It’s not too close to the chest, which we protect, but it’s slightly more personal than a hand. One helpful technique I use is to try and envision myself as a mirror to the person with whom I’m speaking. What’s the cadence of their speech? How loudly do they talk? What’s their body language? By adjusting your behavior to mirror the person you are talking to, he’ll automatically feel more comfortable. This doesn’t mean, of course, that you should be disingenuous. Rather, it shows that you’re particularly sensitive to other people’s emotional temperaments. You’re just tweaking your style to ensure that the windows remain wide open. How do you conclude a conversation? During meetings and social gatherings, I’m often quite blunt. I’ll mention something meaningful that was said in the course of our conversation and say, “There are so many wonderful people here tonight; I’d feel remiss if I didn’t at least try and get to know a few more of them. Would you excuse me for a second?” People generally understand, and appreciate the honesty. There’s also always the drink option. I’ll say: “I’m going to get another drink. Would you like one?” If they say no, I don’t have an obligation to come back. If they say yes, I’ll be sure to enter into another conversation on my way to the bar. When I return with a drink, I’ll say, “I just ran into some people you should meet. Come on over.” As William James pointed out, “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” You should be governed by the idea that one should seek first to understand, then to be understood. We’re often so worried about what we’re going to say next that we don’t hear what’s being said to us now. There are few ways to signal to your listener that you are interested and listening actively. Take the initiative and be the first person to say hello. This demonstrates confidence and immediately shows your interest in the other person. When the conversation starts, don’t interrupt. Show empathy and understanding by nodding your head and involving your whole body in engaging the person you’re talking with. Ask questions that demonstrate (sincerely) you believe the other person’s opinion is particularly worth seeking out. Focus on their triumphs. Laugh at their jokes. And always, always, remember the other person’s name. Nothing is sweeter to someone’s ears than their own name. At the moment of introduction, I visually attach a person’s name to their face. Seconds later, I’ll repeat the person’s name to make sure I got it, and then again periodically throughout the conversation. If All Else Fails, these Five Words That Never Do “You’re wonderful. Tell me more.” Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time by Keith Ferrazzi, Tahl Raz The info-business does not require talent, just an understanding of your market and a little work. I had no idea how many possible ways there are to create an information product, it reminds me of the Friends episose where they tried to name all 50 states from memory.
Sounds easy. Not so easy. D 41 Types of Information Products Paper and Ink 1. Reports—one to eight pages, addressing specialized topics 2. Tip sheets—one page, very specialized, very how-to, no fluff 3. Manuals—usually published in loose-leaf notebook or spiral-bound format 4. Books 5. Boxed sets of books 6. Home study courses—may include printed product with other types (e.g., audio, video) 7. Tests and quizzes—self-scoring or computer-scoring 8. Seminar or speech transcripts 9. Newsletters 10. Back issues of newsletters or reports 11. Other continuity products, such as “Book a Month” 12. Sets of cards (e.g., reminder cards, recipe cards) 13. Forms (e.g., time management systems, step-by-step processes) 14. Posters 15. Multi-author publications (several authors contribute to one product; each gets to sell it) Audio and Video 16. Audiotapes—live recorded speeches, seminars, consultations 17. Audiotapes—how-to instructions, usually studio recorded 18. Audiotapes—interviews, conversations, roundtable discussions 19. Audiotapes—collections of radio broadcasts 20. Audiotapes—interactive, with a workbook 21. Audiotapes—subliminal, self-hypnosis, etc. 22. Videotapes—live-recorded speeches, seminars, consultations 23. Videotapes—how-to instructions 24. Videotapes—interviews, conversations, roundtable discussions 25. Videotapes—interactive, with a workbook Internet Products 26. E-book—book delivered electronically over the internet 27. Download—customer downloads manuals and audio over the internet after purchase 28. Online videos—entire products are now often delivered through online videos either made using screen shots of PowerPoint presentations or through live-action videos of a live seminar or someone teaching in front of a camera 29. Membership site—customers are allowed to access information on password-protected website 30. Structured lessons—customers are led through a series of lessons; may include examinations Miscellaneous 31. Trainer kits—multimedia, for use in conducting classes, workshops, etc. 32. Memberships 33. Devices (e.g., stress card) 34. Plaques 35. Computer software 36. “Packages”—of a variety of related information products, offered at a special price 37. Continuity programs involving multiple-information products, multiple media 38. Services—tied to memberships or purchases or used as premiums 39. Customized—to different markets, different clients/users 40. Private-labeled—for other marketers, users 41. Licensed Official Get Rich Guide to Information Marketing: Build a Million Dollar Business Within 12 Months by Robert Skrob Process is King "Documenting repeatable processes for anything you will do more than once is essential to your sanity. It’s true; you can fly by the seat of your pants and get by, but it makes you a hostage to your work. If you’ve ever been a manager you probably like process and understand its benefits. If you’re a developer you probably dislike process or see it as a necessary evil. Startups, being lean and mean, seem like the perfect place to eliminate documents, have no systems, and no processes…but that’s far from the truth. Without process it’s impossible to delegate, difficult to bring on a business partner, and easy to make mistakes. With processes in place it’s much easier to sell your product if/when you want to make an exit. The fact is, creating processes will bring you freedom through the ability to easily automate and outsource tasks. We’ll discuss this in chapter Nothing about a Startup is a One-Time Effort Many of us have the dream of launching our startup, investing time in the marketing effort, and from that day forward being able to focus on writing code. The problem is, nearly everything about a startup requires ongoing effort." Again, Process is King Start Small, Stay Small: A Developer's Guide to Launching a Startup by Rob Walling You want to be an entrepreneur? Then go meet an entrepreneur. Meet as many as you can. Seriously, that is a better plan than getting a MBA (remember I have one of those), or risking all your hard earned capital, or simply stumbling around in the dark of your ignorance. Go find a entrepreneur and work with them. Find one, and get to know them, learn from them. I suggest this for two reasons; first you are only as valuable as your network, and you need to start to build one, and second you will discover that they are no smarter than you are. You will watch them and start to think, that you can do that. That is what you want because that is good, the only difference between you and a entrepreneur, is that they took action, and once you take action, good things will start to head your way. Too often people think they just jump out of a 9 to 5 job, hustle a little, and then the money pours in, but it doesn't work like that. Running your own business means you need to understand how it all works, the better yoiur skill set, the better the odds of succeeding. It is always better to learn from someone who has masde it, learn what they know, see what works, and then move those skills to your own business. It never hurts to learn more, learn from an expert, and build your network at the same time.. D |
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Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” |