Are you too busy or are they too demanding?
Early last week my Grandma passed away.
It was so sudden and painful. I kept reliving her last days over and over trying to swallow the fact that she was gone… That made me even more upset.
When she was still alive, we’d sit in the backyard and talk about her life and what she had accomplished. She was a great person and I’m proud that she was OUR grandma.
She always played full on in life. She lived up to her values; she was passionate about life and helping people. Everyday above the ground was a good day for Grandma.
I really miss Grandma. She was such a positive, hardworking and a truly nice lady with a HUGE heart.
I only wish that I had spent more time with Grandma when she was still alive. That reminds me that being in business can be a lot of hard work. A lot of sacrifices need to be made. Sometimes we don’t take full advantage of our true assets like our family, health, time, friends. We take those things for granted perhaps thinking that they’ll always be there. Maybe we think that we’re too busy to spend more time with our partner, kids or friends. Or, we want to spend more time with our loved ones and plan to do it but first we need to…
As life goes by and years pass, little do we realise that we can’t turn back the time and relive those special moments that never happened.
Perhaps at times we feel that our business and work is so important that everything else must wait. And we expect those around us to somehow understand and appreciate that we are doing it “for them.” Then when some unfortunate tragedy suddenly strikes we realise that we weren’t doing that much at all. At least, we weren’t doing what truly matters.
I hope this post will serve you as a reminder that as you keep working hard in your business, you don’t forget those who are really truly important in your life. Because success will come if you work hard enough, yet some opportunities are lost forever.
That’s why I think it’s important that you DELEGATE those tasks that do not represent the highest and best use of your time and energy. That way you’ll have more time to spend with your family, and probably a more successful business too.
If you think that trying to figure out EVERYTHING about how to have a successful business all by yourself makes you look smart, just think about what you’re truly gambling with. Shouldn’t the whole purpose of having a business be to have more time and freedom to do the things that really matter to you? I hope that this post will help you in some way to refocus your energies on what’s truly important in your life.
P.S. – A few days after Grandma passed away, a client, who left a message on my voicemail, sent me an email as well, a little annoyed because I haven’t replied to him for TWO days, I apologised and told him the reason why. He instantly understood. He said, he was sorry. It’s interesting that sometimes we get stuck in a groove, like our old habitual ways of thinking that shapes our perspective and so we fail to see a different possibility or point of view. I know I do that at times, but I think it’s good to recognise WHEN we’re doing it and consider at least a few different perspectives. Getting a fresh perspective should work well for your business.
Doing Business With the French In Tough Economic Times…
If many of your clients or prospects are French, or you’re looking to tap into the French market, then today’s post will help you connect with French people like a pro and get more sales from them.
Every national group has its own unique cultural traits and manners. You need to recognize what those unique ‘national endowments’ are if you want to gain rapport, trust, and build your credibility quickly.
Apparently you can’t change people. So, stop trying. If you want to be effective with the French, you need to understand how they think or how they are wired subconsciously.
Doing Business Around The World, by Terri Morrison, Wayne A. Conaway, and Joseph J. Douress, provides brief information about the language, government system, population, geography, and natural resources of 40 countries. It also provides valuable information about negotiating styles, tariffs, risk factors, and cultural tips for each of those countries.
While some of the material is outdated, I believe the cultural section has ‘eternal value’. Here, I have summarized the tips for dealing with the French (the book contains ’5 cultural tips’ for EACH of the 40 nationalities it lists) for your information:
5 Cultural Tips to help you better connect and SELL to the French with less effort:
1. The French handshake is brief – almost a hand clasp, accompanied by a short span of eye contact. There is good reason for this: French employees shake hands with each fellow employee every day … twice! When an employee arrives, he or she goes around the building shaking hands with everyone. When they leave, the process is repeated. Even in small office, this can involve hundreds of handshakes every single day. While some French (of both sexes) kiss their friends on both cheeks, this is rarely done in a business setting.
2. The French have a great appreciation for the art of conversation. However, be aware that the French frequently interrupt each other. French conversation is not linear. Instead, conversation is considered a dynamic process of give-and-take where every possibility is articulated. Argument is a form of entertainment. Well-expressed opinions are appreciated, even if they’re diametrically opposed to everyone else’s. Note that you don’t have to answer every single objection to your proposal. The French want every opinion to be expressed – not necessarily refuted.
3. Food is important in France, and business always involves sharing meals. At a business lunch or dinner show enthusiasm about the food before beginning a business discussion.
4. Respect privacy. The French close doors behind them. Knock and wait before entering.
5. Pay attention to voices. It is a sign of closeness in France to be able to recognise someone over the phone by their voice alone. Also be sensitive to the volume of your voice. It is no secret that U.S. executives are known to offend everyone in a restaurant, meeting, or on the street with their loud voices and braying laughter.
If you’re looking to better connect or understand different cultures and nationalities, you could also check Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind by Geert Hofstede. It provides an insightful study of cultural differences across 70 nations.
When you think about it, many of the cultural tips above could apply to other national groups and not just the French alone. In our dealings with others, it is always good to remember that our perspective and outlook on life might be (IS) totally different to other people. When you’re trying to connect with your customers and prospects, always understand the type of ‘conversation’ you should be having with the people you want to move to action.
How To Craft A Killer ‘About Us’ Page That Explodes Your Sales!
Your About Us page should provoke people to want to spend money with you. Ahem… does it?
If your About Us page isn’t great, you better fix it quickly, seriously.
Today’s post should help you take it to the next level. You could go over your About Us page with the list below to see what’s missing or what could be tweaked up a little on your page. Step 1…
1. You should be able to explain in one paragraph what it is exactly that you do, what’s the purpose of your company and what makes it unique. Be brief. Don’t bore the reader with unnecessary details. But make sure you tell a captivating story that makes people want to open their wallets and give you their money.Say how long you have been in business in your particular industry, and give a brief summary of the services or products your company provides. That will give your web visitors clarity of what your business is all about. But, don’t stop there…
Your About Us page needs to tell your clients WHO is behind the product or service they are buying. Simply state how each key player contributes to the integrity of your company. What are the highlights of each person’s qualities, experience and expertise?
Should you use a photo for each person’s profile? Absolutely! Ideally each photo should communicate the person’s unique personality in action. Also, make sure the photos you use are of a decent size but don’t make them too big, otherwise they could become a bit overwhelming to the reader.
2. What are your qualifications? Don’t by shy – list any awards, accomplishments, degrees, training and certifications you have received over the years? What quality endorsements do you have? Do you have any relationship with authority figures your typical reader knows and respects? Have you written any papers, articles or books, or have other people written about you? Are you a member of any trade organisations, affiliations and civic groups? What have you been able to accomplish in your position? What targets have you reached? How many clients have you served? Why only you are uniquely qualified to offer the service or product you sell? If you are an expert on a specific topic, explain how your in-depth knowledge can help your clients solve their problems. Also, include some of your very best and specific testimonials to add even more credibility.
Most people seem too scared or too embarrassed to talk about their accomplishments. Makes no sense to me. Why wouldn’t you want to tell people about what makes you great? Of course, you don’t want to overdo it… The questions above should help you stay on the right track.
Remember, your About Us page is ALL about the reader page. So, even though this is your chance to emphasize your accomplishments and brag a little, you always want to let the reader know how they benefit. Never forget that.
3. How are you different from your competitors? Your point of difference could be based on: price, availability, location, product, positioning, service, organisational structure, expertise, and anything else that makes doing business with you different, better and far more advantageous than your competitors. What resources and unique or proprietary tools do you use to produce a superior product or service?
At www.FastProfits.com.au we use 78 psychological triggers, a 56-point ‘X-Ray’ focus checklist and 28 response-boosting tactics to write unique and actionable copy. What tools do you use to produce the desired result?
4. If you have a unique philosophy or approach to satisfying your customer’s needs, you should briefly explain it on your About Us page. After all, it’s what makes you unique. How does your unique business philosophy help your clients achieve their goals quicker, faster and with less effort?
World’s #1 Marketing Wizard Jay Abraham says that you should believe passionately about your product, service, or your company. But you should fall in love with your client. Falling in love with your clients means taking responsibility for their well-being and putting their best interests ahead of your own. If that’s what you do, you need to tell people about it. Your prospects and clients can’t appreciate something they don’t know about you. So, tell them.
5. Your About Us page should connect with your web visitors. People want to connect with other people. People want to know that there is a real human behind this “Internet thing.” So use personal, conversational and friendly tone. Also use plain and simple language your typical prospect or client can easily relate to and understand.
There are 2 EXTRA STEPS to this formula and a handful of useful distinctions you can read about at FastProfits.com.au/articles. But this post should keep you busy for a while.
Crafting a killer About Us page can be tricky. You need to strike the right balance between telling a good, captivating story and not boring your reader with unnecessary detail.
Make it a habit to study other people’s About Us pages. Don’t copy that’s just not cool. But see what you can learn from them. Visit www.marcdussault.com (in my opinion it is one of the best ‘About’ page you’ll find on the information superhighway…) you can find another awesome example at www.marketing-results.com.au and of course Yours Truly has a pretty good one too. 
Your ‘Success Profile’ Questionnaire…
What you’re about to discover are facts about yourself that will amaze you.
The following is a collection of 75 questions I have received from the Napoleon Hill Foundation guaranteed to help you learn more about yourself than you have in the past week, month or even years.
The questionnaire is based on the 17 enduring principles that have been responsible for the success of the world’s outstanding leaders.
It should help you identify the habits, behaviour patterns and mindset you need to master and develop to achieve your full potential.
Chances are that you have read the Think And Grow Rich book by Napoleon Hill at least once. Well, are you living by its principles? Let’s find out…
Remember to have fun and be honest with yourself:
1. Definiteness of Purpose
a. Have you decided upon a definite goal in life?
b. Have you set a date for reaching that goal?
c. Do you have a specific plan for achieving your goal in life?
d. Have you determined what definite benefits your goal in life will bring you?
2. Mastermind Alliance
a. Are other people helping you to attain your goal in life?
b. Do you believe that a person can succeed in life without
the aid of others?
c. Do you believe you can readily succeed in your occupation
if you are opposed by your spouse or other members of your family?
d. Are there certain advantages when an employer and
and an employee work together in harmony?
e. Do you know how the Mastermind principle makes
the US the richest country in the world?
3. Applied Faith
a. Do you have faith in Infinite Intelligence?
b. Do you have confidence in your ability to do anything you desire?
c. Are you entirely free from all of these seven basic fears:
Fear of POVERTY;
Fear of CRITICISM;
Fear of ILL HEALTH;
Fear of LOSS OF LOVE;
Fear of LOSS OF LIBERTY;
Fear of OLD AGE; Fear of DEATH?
4. Going the Extra Mile
a. Do you make a habit of rendering more service than you are paid to do?
b. Do you believe there are times when an employee is
entitled to ask for more pay?
c. Do you know of anyone who has achieved success in any
calling without doing more than they were paid to do?
d. Do you believe anyone has a right to ask for an increase in
salary unless they are doing more than they are paid for?
e. If you were an employer, would you be satisfied with
the sort of service you are now rendering as an employee?
5. Pleasing Personality
a. Do you have habits which offend others?
b. Are you liked by those with whom you work?
c. Can you interest people when speaking in public?
d. Are there times when you seem to bore others?
6. Personal Initiative
a. Do you plan your own work each day?
b. Do you have to have your work planned for you?
c. Do you have certain outstanding qualities which are not
possessed by others in your line of work?
d. When your plans fail, do you ‘give up?’
e. Do you ever create better plans for doing your work more efficiently?
7. Positive Mental Attitude
a. Do you know what is meant by a positive mental attitude?
b. Can you control your mental attitude at will?
c. Do you know the only thing which you have the complete
power of control over?
d. Do you know how to detect a negative mental attitude in others?
e. Do you have a method of developing the habit of
a positive mental attitude?
8. Enthusiasm
a. Are you known as a person of enthusiasm?
b. Can you control your enthusiasm by applying it in
carrying out your plans?
c. Does your enthusiasm sometimes become the master of
your judgment?
9. Self-Discipline
a. Do you hold your tongue when angry?
b. In a heated discussion, do you speak before you think?
c. Do you lose your patience easily?
d. Are you even-tempered at all times?
e. Do you allow your affections to sway your judgment?
10. Accurate Thinking
a. Do you make it your duty to learn what others know
in connection with your occupation, which may be of value to you?
b. Do you express ‘opinions’ on subjects with which you
are not familiar?
c. Do you know how to acquire facts in connection with any
subject in which you are interested?
11. Controlled Attention
a. Do you concentrate all your thoughts on whatever
you are doing?
b. Are you easily influenced to change your plans or your decision?
c. Are you inclined to abandon your aims and plans when
you meet opposition?
d. Do you become interested in other people and their plans
as quickly as you do in connection with yourself and your
own ideas?
12. Teamwork
a. Do you get along harmoniously with others under
all circumstances?
b. Do you grant favors as freely as you ask for them?
c. Do you have continual disagreements with others on
certain subjects?
d. Do you believe there are advantages in friendly
cooperation with those with whom you work?
e. Are you aware of the damage you can cause yourself and
your fellow-employees by not cooperating with co-workers?
13. Learning from Adversity and Defeat
a. Does defeat cause you to stop trying?
b. If you fail in a given effort, do you begin again
with a new plan?
c. Do you believe that temporary defeat can become failure?
d. Have you learned any lessons from defeat?
e. Do you know how defeat can be converted into an asset
that may lead to success?
14. Creative Vision
a. Is your imagination keen and alert?
b. Do you make your own decisions?
c. Do you prefer to call on others for their opinions before
you act?
d. Have you ever invented anything?
e. Do you create practical ideas readily in connection
with your work?
f. Do you believe that a person who creates ideas quickly is
worth more than a person who follows only the ideas and
plans created by others?
15. Maintain Sound Health
a. Do you know the essential factors of sound health?
b. Do you know what sound health begins with?
c. Do you know what relation relaxation has to sound health?
d. Do you know the four important factors necessary for the proper balancing of sound health?
e. Can you explain hypochondria?
16. Budgeting Time and Money
a. Do you save a definite amount of your income?
b. Do you spend money without considering what would
happen if your income were cut off?
c. Do you get sufficient sleep each night?
d. Do you spend all your spare time having fun?
17. Cosmic Habitforce
a. Do you have habits which you feel you cannot control?
b. Have you had undesirable habits which you have eliminated?
c. In the past few months, have you developed any
new, desirable habits?
How did you go? I think the results are pretty self-explanatory. But the real question is:
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT TODAY?
Why not leave a comment and share your insights with others…
Are You A Good Oxygenator?
The good thing about being a copywriter is that you do plenty of research. And at the very least you become more knowledgeable on a bunch of different topics. Recently I was doing research for a client, and I think you need to know what I discovered. Simply because it should help you improve your productivity and results dramatically over the next 7 days or less.
Apparently most people are oxygen starved!
If you don’t replenish your body with sufficient oxygen on a regular basis – your body wears out at a faster rate, you start catching viruses and infections more, you experience mental exhaustion and burnout, and your productivity goes straight out the window!
People lose their drive and perseverance as their ability to oxygenate declines.
Here’s the thing…
A healthy heart is a well functioning pump. It circulates blood and oxygen throughout your body with every stroke. The problem starts when your lungs’ ability to pick up oxygen from the air drops. It could be due to many different factors like health reasons, age, lifestyle and the environment.
You see, our high-paced and stressful lifestyle and the environment, deprive your body of the oxygen it needs, and makes your body feel tired, worn-out and prone to viruses and infections.
So, you need more oxygen. WE ALL DO. Especially if you live or work in a major metropolitan area or spend hours doing desk or computer work.
So, how can you oxygenate your body more?
You probably know that exercise is good for you. Aerobic exercise in particular, strengthens the heart and lungs, and increases the level of oxygen within your body.
Aerobic exercise doesn’t need to be complicated. It’s simple things like… walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, bike riding, playing hoops, squash or tennis. Dancing and bike riding are my favourites. Not only do I think that I am a good dancer, dancing keeps my body well oxygenated so that I can pump out killer copy that gets results for my clients.
You need to choose an activity you will enjoy. The key is to be REGULAR at it.
In case, you’re still not convinced about the benefits of regular exercise…
The lungs expand more fully with exercise. The lung tissue becomes more elastic and flexible. As a result you’re able to take in more oxygen with every breath you take. Regular aerobic exercise improves oxygenation and circulation to the brain and nerves. And that improves mental alertness, concentration, problem solving ability, short-term memory, well-being and more.
Of course, at times you are forced to miss a workout or two, depriving your body of the oxygen it needs to perform at its peak level. Can you make it up somehow? Hmmm…
You might want to visit this website http://www.alkalinecookbook.com.au/oxy-rich.html to discover how you can inject your body with 50,000 parts per million of dissolved oxygen while sitting back in your lazy chair! It’s a significant scientific breakthrough that should help improve your productivity, concentration and results this week by charging your body with more oxygen. Definitely worth checking out!
How to Be A Master Problem Solver – Part 1
Sometimes we just can’t solve a problem or come up with fresh ideas simply because we refuse to change our perspective. You need to see your problem or issue from multiple angles. As you do, it will become easier for you to see new and different ways of solving it.
Are you trying to generate more leads for your business… or, write a killer subject line for you email… or, figure out how to approach your new joint venture partner? Whatever your goal, there is usually an unlimited number of ways of achieving it. To find the easiest and fastest way to do it, you first need to change the way you look at it.
Change your perspective – solve your problem!
See, how the following makes you feel:
1) I’m stuck. I’m making progress. I’m about to come up with a breakthrough idea. I’m on fire!
2) I want more leads for my business. I want to leverage other people’s contacts to grow my business. I want to have a cash-flow positive business.
3) I have to get fit. It’s time to lose that spare tyre around my waist. I want to adultery-proof my marriage.
As you look at an issue from a different angle you will broaden your perspective and it will become easier for you to create new and different solutions, ideas or even motivation.
To change your perspective, you could also try the following:
Think of a word or two to describe your problem. Next, use a different word and see what happens. Now, think of 3-5 words which describe your problem. What did you learn along the way?
Don’t just think about your problem…
You could draw it, doodle it, sing it, or sculpt it. You could also look at it as if through someone else’s eyes: US president Barack Obama, Hollywood’s star Brad Pitt, genius inventor Albert Einstein. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you change your perspective often.
Sometimes all you have to do is change your attitude towards the problem to find a solution.
How to Pry Open the Hearts, Minds and Wallets of Your Prospects!
You can’t move your prospects and clients to action unless you
first figure out what drives and motivates them.
That can be a teeny intimidating unless you chunk things down…
As you know, we each have a number of different roles in our lives – different areas in which we have responsibility. Your customers are not any different. They may, for example… have a role of a father, husband, businessman, teacher and professional golfer.
Each of these roles is important to them.
People want to be successful at what they do (you know, their roles…). They want to
be recognised or acknowledged as a good father, successful businessman and
an exceptional sportsman (of course, both genders want to be successful;
I use the masculine gender as an example only).
But, listen to this…
At any given time, your customers/prospects have 3-5 key issues
that are MOST important to them. Those roles change over time, but
to motivate someone effectively, you must understand what their
most important issues are when you try to engage them in a conversation,
using: email, letters, website or face to face contact.
To sort out those key issues, and improve some area of their lives, people
consciously or subconsciously, set goals for themselves.
Your customers/prospects are trying to do something like make more money.
That’s their GOAL or result they want to achieve.
If you want to motivate your customers and prospects to action, you must
understand what their goals are – what do they want MORE of and
what do they want LESS of in life? You need to figure out what it is EXACTLY that
your prospects or clients want to achieve.
How can your product or service help them achieve their goals?
Step 2, is for you to understand their MOTIVATION/s for wanting to achieve a particular goal.
WHY do they want to make more money? What’s their motivation?
For example, a person wants to make money, because he wants to
pay off his car loan and make the rent every month. The middle manager works
65-hour weeks to earn that next promotion. A bubbly secretary
works overtime because she enjoys the company of her colleagues.
Keep in mind that everyone’s “needs” are different.
A 60-year-old secret to help you motivate your customers without wasting a single breath…
Elmer Wheeler, also known as the “sell the sizzle, not the steak” salesman described
five effective psychological motivators in his book Tested Salesmanship, they are:
1) Importance. Wheeler argued that the #1 motivator
for people is the search to feel superior or better than others.
2) Appreciation. People lave their jobs and their partners to find this need elsewhere.
3) Approval. Wheeler explained that we all go to great lengths to
liked and approved by other people. If your prospects and customers are part of
a civic group, organisation, or an association, they’re likely to accept, propagate and
live by the values of that group.
4) Ease. People are lazy. As a result they look for quick, easy and instant gratification.
How can you provide a faster, better, easier solution to your prospect’s problems?
5) Success. People want to be successful. But, remember, it’s their definition of success, not yours. Their definition of success could be having: money, health, relationships, a bigger house, a newer car, the latest designer handbags, or many other things.
Once you find the one motivator that works with your prospects, the tendency is to use the same motivator over and over again. But if you do, it will loose its power. So you need to keep looking for a new twist.
Step 3, you need to recognize and understand their fears.
Fear motivates and moves us away from unpleasant circumstances or potential destruction.
Fear persuades us to do many things we might not otherwise do.
Out of fear we buy life insurance, air bags, medicines and home alarms.
How can you use fear to your advantage?
Your customer’s fear could be that his property will be seized by creditors as he’s unable to meet his repayments… or the hysterical laugh of his relatives as they find out what happened… or perhaps that there won’t be enough funds for him to enjoy a comfortable retirement, free of financial worries.
The more you know about your customers, the more effective
your sales and marketing efforts will be. It’s well worth making the effort to find out their real:
A) GOALS
B) MOTIVATIONS
C) FEARS
Keep in mind that their goals, motivations and fears are constantly changing.
Isn’t this fun?
P.S. – To sell someone effectively, you need to create rapport first, so you need to meet people where they already are. You need to understand their current mindset on the topic you want to ‘discuss’ with them.
When your prospect is worried or preoccupied with something occurring now or that is about to happen in the future, like many people do these days about the economy, your ability to persuade declines. So, make sure you address that worry first before you start your sales spiel.
Still struggle to craft a powerful USP for your business? Try this…
I find that one of the biggest problems people have is
having to articulate their Unique Selling Proposition (USP) effectively.
A USP is the single most powerful element that
tilts the game in your favour, by attracting clients and
prospects to you, instead of you trying to chase people
who aren’t interested in what you have to sell.
A USP eliminates tyre-kickers and time-wasters from your business and
puts you in front of people who are READY to do business with you. It creates a
‘magical transformation’ from having a PUSH strategy to a PULL strategy.
Your USP is the essence of your entire business concept.
It’s the philosophical foundation of your business.
It is that unique DISTINCT IDEA that clearly sets your
business apart from your competition.
Your USP could be based on: price, availability,
location, product, positioning, service, organisational
structure, expertise, advice and anything else that makes
doing business with you different, better and far more
advantageous than your competitors.
In 2008 I attended Exponential Internet And Business Building Bootcamp with Dr Marc Dussault.
Profit explosion ideas, tips and strategies were firing from all directions. I guess you had to be there to really appreciate the value.
But here’s the thing…
During the Bootcamp, as Marc was working LIVE on people’s USPs, I was busy capturing all the best questions, he was asking, down on paper. I think they’re PRICELESS. The best part is that using the questions below, you can take your USP from 0-$$$ in no time flat! Just give it a go and see for yourself.
Here are the questions… Have Fun!
* Who are you talking to exactly?
* How can you connect with MORE people?
* Are you screaming at the WRONG CROWD who aren’t listening?
* Are you selling the EXPERIENCE?
* Think of your best client + the service your provided step-by-step.
* What do you sell/do and how do you do it?
* Make it SHORTER.
* Erase words that don’t add MAXIMUM value.
* Clarify your role with your client.
* Is it what people WANT?
* What’s the key BENEFIT that you offer?
* What FEELING do you need to imbue the USP with?
* Capture peoples’ imagination.
* How can you build pre-eminence?
* What’s the discomfort in your business?
* How do you add value to the experience of your product?
* What makes you different?
* What are you great at doing/delivering?
* What can you be the BEST at?
* What can you do that no one else can?
* Be more SPECIFIC.
* Explain VISUALLY.
* Is your USP confusing?
* Is it CLEAR/OBVIOUS what you do?
* What’s UNIQUE about your value proposition?
11 simple ways to convert web visitors into money in your pocket!
…Successful optimization, PPC or social media campaigns
can open your virtual doors wide open. But what’s next?
How do you convert traffic into $$$?
You see, after attending dozens of Internet seminars and
workshops, and reading hundreds of online marketing books, I’ve
amassed a list of explosive yet simple tips, tools, strategies and
techniques that could give your business an unfair advantage.
Today, I want to share some of them with you.
What you’ll discover in just a minute is 11 powerful ways
to pry open the hearts, minds and wallets of prospects by
making a few easy changes to your website.
Would that be nice?
While some ideas are simple and could be executed in a matter of
minutes, others require a bit more forethought and planning.
Nevertheless, every idea has the potential of adding THOUSANDS
if not tens of thousands and MORE dollars to your online profits.
LET’S BEGIN!
1. Your home page must stop the surfer in his/her tracks.
It must communicate quickly and succinctly your pre-eminence,
your expertise, your credentials, and your ability to help your prospect.
You have about 3-5 seconds to hook your reader. So, your website must
be pretty damn fast with the value proposition and uniqueness to work.
2. Keep in mind, people remember more what they see and
less what they read. People also tune out if they think they know
what your message is all about. So, make sure you update your
website regularly with fresh content. Sometimes a few
‘cosmetic’ changes could make all the difference.
If your website looks the same as it did last month and
the month before and the month before what reasons
are you giving people to keep coming back?
Keep in mind that the more often people visit your website,
the more likely they are to spend money with you.
3. Throughout your website content, use short words, short sentences and
short paragraphs. Paragraphs should be no more than 5 sentences.
But, vary the length, so it doesn’t become repetitive and boring.
4. If you are using photos on your website, make sure
you use a caption under every photo. People want to know what
they’re looking at and how it adds to the conversation.
5. Use CURIOSITY throughout your website to keep the reader
engaged and interested. One way is to give a separate
theme for your testimonials, guarantees, bonuses etc.
Use different colours, typeface, size and shapes for each. But be balanced.
6. Note: the colours you use throughout your communications
need to be congruent with your message/positioning and branding.
Too much colour tends to distract the reader from your message.
7. MAKE IRRESISTIBLE OFFERS. A typical offer includes the price,
product and/or service description, your terms and conditions.
Ideally, no one else should be able to offer what you are offering
to your prospect. So make your offers totally unique.
8. Establish credibility – use testimonials, guarantees, case studies and
real data to give people confidence to buy from you.
9. Create urgency. People like to procrastinate or to think things over.
Put a time limit on your offer if you can. Use SCARCITY whenever
possible. The more limited the number available, the more
exclusive it becomes and the more people will want to have it!
10. Use CONTRAST, COMPARISON, DATA/STATISTICS/, PROOF,
ILLUSTRATIONS etc. to help your prospects understand
the value of having your product or service.
11. Make sure your website makes people want to listen.
What makes people want to listen? Their personalized
emotional reactions to what they want to hear or what they
fear to hear. Interesting… how could you use this to your advantage?
That’s it! Why not pick 3-5 ideas and commit to implement them THIS week.
BTW, if you’ve enjoyed these tips, why not sign up to get my FULL collection on my website – it’s FREE!
Make Your New Year’s Resolution Stick!
Recently I was going through my notes when suddenly this
hair-raising, spine-chilling, bloodcurdling statistic jumped off the page
and slapped me silly…
…I almost fell off the chair but I grabbed the computer table for support! (I said almost, OK?)
I couldn’t believe it. You see…
“You’ll spend about 6 weeks of your time [in 2009] re-reading
the same information that you take no action on.”
Ouch! That will have to hurt your back pocket.
You see, most people touch the same piece of paper/document/letter
or open the same email SEVERAL TIMES before they finally decide
to take action on. Now that’s insanity on steroids!
I don’t know about you, but if that’s what you do and
you think that you should stop that, I think you’re right.
Do you know somebody who makes any of the following dumb excuses?
Oh! This again – I can’t deal with that now OR it’s too late,
I need to go to sleep, I’ll deal with it later, ZZZzzz… OR
I really need to go to the bathroom, as soon as I get back… OR
I’ll just quickly open this email, take a quick look and deal with it later…
Fortune 500 superstrategist, Chet Holmes, shared the above eye-opening statistic with a room full of people, who back in 2001 paid $US15,000 per person to learn his secrets.
Behind closed doors he shared a simple 6-step time-management formula that should give you an EXTRA 6 weeks in 2009!
Let’s start with step 1…
1. Touch it once. Don’t start and stop a task several times.
Start it when you can finish the task or when you can spend
a dedicated block of time on it. Don’t open that email or
letter until you are ready to deal with it.
I think this is pretty obvious. If you touch it you must take action on it.
This could be a scary thought for some. Don’t check your emails every fifteen minutes – that will drive you crazy. Chet is known for checking his emails at certain times of the day – that’s it!
Here’s a tip. Every time you touch “it” and don’t take action on it, tick it off with red pen.
Now, you see where this is going, right? Let’s see how many ‘red ticks’
you’ll have at the end of the week! This should help you be a little more decisive.
If something requires action of another, write a post it note and
send/give it to the person who can deal with it.
If you can’t do anything else with it, FILE it. Chet recommends having a file for everything.
I have an “ideas” file, “projects in progress” file, “will take action on one day” file, “things I want to read” file, etc.
The RULE is: if you touch it – DO something with it.
Step 2…
2. Make lists. Make daily lists of the 6 most important things
you need to accomplish each day and, by hook or by crook,
get those 6 things completed each day.
Checking email shouldn’t be on that list!
The RULE is: Only the six most important things.
Step 3… (This is getting fun, isn’t?)
3. Plan how much time you will allocate to each task.
Determine how much time will be needed or, if the item(s) is
too large to complete in one day, decide how much time
you will devote to that task during the day.
The RULE is: Plan how long each task will take.
Next Step…
4. Plan the day. Now you assign a specific time slot for each task.
Build into your daily schedule two, half hour slots to check email,
have brief check-in meetings with others and of course, the interruptions.
The RULE is: Assign time slots for accomplishing each task.
OK, next…
5. Prioritize. Put the most important task first, not last, in your daily schedule. How do you know which task is most important? Simply, ASK for RESULTS.
Police your schedule and stick to it – you are the only one
who can make your prioritized daily schedule work while others
try to interrupt and disrupt. People will eventually have to get used to your new schedule.
They won’t have a choice. 
The RULE is: Follow the 80/20 rule – do the most productive task first.
Last step…
6. Ask yourself, “Will it hurt me to throw this away?”
Most of the material you file and store will never be used again.
If you can retrieve it from some other source, like the Internet,
a colleague or other resource – chuck it away.
The RULE is: simply ask yourself: “Will it hurt me to throw this away?”
That’s it!
Keep in mind that every time you try to learn something new and make it a part of your subconscious, it takes about 3-4 weeks for it to become automatic.That’s a long time! And that’s where most people fail, they stop too soon.
So, if you’re excited about this cool time-management formula,
why not commit yourself to stick to it EVERY DAY for the next 4 weeks?
After that it should become your second nature – automatic!
Then you can move onto something else. Have Fun!
Did You Know?
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