A Former Corporate Chicken’s Guide to Being Tough
Issue #2147
- WEALTHY: A concept that can make you a TON of money (Rich Schefren)
- HEALTHY: The garlic debate rages on - which side is right? (Dr. Ray Sahelian)
- WISE: Warren Bennis on leadership
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Trading up for loins of steel (Michael Masterson)
- Feedback Friday: Working your way through college - a benefit or drawback?
- It’s Good to Know… about extended-stay hotels
- Add "temerity" to your vocabulary
Your Computer Sucks
No, I’m not being impolite. I mean your computer sucks your time, your money and your life away from you.
Drip drip drip… out it goes.
But now there’s a way to turn that flow around… to stop GIVING all the time and start GETTING!
Join hundreds of your fellow ETR readers who are making the switch over to the “Other Side” of the Internet.
- Patrick Coffey
Start Acting Like a Real Business and Get the Cash Flowing
Here’s a concept that can make you a TON of money. It’s called visitor value - the average sales value of every person who visits your website. You may have heard of visitor value before - but you’re probably not paying as much attention to it as you should.
I think it’s important to measure and improve everything you do in your business. Even if you don’t measure everything all the time, it’s good to establish benchmarks to see how well things are performing. And visitor value gives you a bottom line figure that you can use to measure the effectiveness of your entire business.
Let’s say you make $100 per every 100 people who visit your site. That gives you a visitor value of $1. If your visitor value sinks to 50 cents, you could be doing something wrong. The people who are visiting your site just aren’t buying.
By focusing on increasing your visitor value, you’ll be improving all aspects of your business:
- You’ll have to offer better products that, in turn, deserve higher price points.
- You’ll have to write better sales copy to increase the conversion of visitors into buyers.
- You’ll have to offer up-sells and cross-sells to drive up visitor value even higher.
When you start doing these things, you start acting like a real business.
Multiple dimensions of profit can be discovered if you know how to analyze this critical metric. If you’re not currently tracking it, you should figure out how, as soon as possible. And if you are tracking visitor value, make a list with 20 ideas for how you can increase it… then pick the top three and start implementing them immediately.
[Ed. Note: Rich Schefren is arguably one of the world’s best small-business strategists. His businesses have done over $35 million in sales, and he currently coaches many of today’s top Internet gurus and service providers on streamlining their businesses while exploding their profits. Don’t miss your chance to learn the secrets of Internet marketing from Rich at this year’s Info Marketing Bootcamp: Making a Fast Fortune on the "Other Side" of the Internet.]
"Successful leadership is not about being tough or soft, sensitive or assertive, but about a set of attributes. First and foremost is character."
Warren Bennis
A Former Corporate Chicken’s Guide to Being Tough
The first rule of success - in any endeavor - is to get the important work done. The important work in business is the tough work: cold calling, generating leads, negotiating deals, and closing sales.
If you are not inclined to be pushy, those kinds of tasks are tough to do. Also tough is to push your plan forward in the face of criticism. Other tough-but-important tasks:
- asking for money
- asking for more money
- criticizing others
- pushing people to work harder than they want
- telling a BS artist that his stuff won’t fly with you
- correcting your boss
- refusing to provide help when it’s not really needed
- confronting a business bully
- asking for more money again
- and yet again
You need to be tough to get the important work done. So what do you do if you don’t feel tough?
That’s what Walter B. asked me: "Being young and having a liberal-arts background, I feel the avoidance of confrontation to be the primary hurdle of my career at the moment. I’m too polite to get things done as efficiently as I should."
Let’s start by saying this: There is hope.
I, for example, am a recovering corporate chicken. When I began my career as a reporter fresh out of the Peace Corps, I was afraid of almost everything. The building I worked at (something called "The Investment Building") intimidated me. As did my boss (LW - 5′8", 220 pounds, bald as a cue ball)… and the managing editor (Ivy League Lisa)… and the executive editor (Michael, who "had my number").
I was also terrified to do my work, which included talking about stuff I knew only superficially (African economics and politics), phoning subscribers (who were older, more experienced, and more knowledgeable than I), and interviewing ambassadors (well… you can imagine).
I’d go to embassy receptions, having been instructed by LW to talk to big shots and pass out business cards. After five minutes of hovering around tight circles of older men who didn’t seem to want to let me in, I’d end up standing in the corner eating shrimp and eyeing the banquet waitresses.
I was afraid even to ask LW for a raise, and went for almost two years without getting one (during which time I was promoted three times).
Ah, those were the days!
I’m not much afraid to speak my mind anymore. And I’m a better businessman because of it.
I’ll tell you how I conquered my fears in a minute. But right now, I want to make an important point - to Walter and anyone else who wonders whether he or she will ever have the guts to get to the top.
You have to be tough to succeed, but you don’t have to start out tough. And doing the tough work doesn’t mean acting tough - and it certainly doesn’t mean acting mean or ruthless.
I know several very successful businesspeople who are mild-mannered and don’t like confrontation. They can be tough, but they don’t act that way. In fact, their mildness gives them some advantages. They make fewer contacts but tend to focus more on those they have. They speak carefully and thus get themselves into fewer jams. They avoid squabbles and lawsuits, which results in fewer enemies. And - most important, perhaps - they spend less time fighting and more time building their businesses.
Consider this as well: There is a danger in getting good at confrontation. You may get so good at fighting that you fight too much. Instead of giving in when it really doesn’t matter, you may find yourself battling it out just to see if you can win another point. (I’m sure you are not like this and probably never will be - but chances are you know someone who is.)
But let’s get back to the question of what to do if you don’t feel tough? How do you gird your loins and take on the tigers? Easy answer: Do what I did when I was just starting out:
- Recognize your shyness.
- See it as a weakness.
- Understand how it hamstrings you.
- Allow yourself to feel ashamed.
- Admit it to others.
- Commit to reform.
Walter has made a good start by recognizing that he has a problem. He errs, however, when he attributes his problem to "politeness." By calling shyness "politeness," you transubstantiate something ordinary into something admirable. But there is nothing admirable about timidity in your work.
Politeness is a good quality to have in business. When you are trying to get people to do things for you, it’s almost a necessity. So you don’t need to quash your politeness to succeed. You need to ratchet up your temerity.
You need to dig down deep inside yourself and find the pluck to do your job. It may help if you break down each task into its component parts ("I pick up the phone," "I dial a number," "I ask to speak to Mr. Jones," "I say to Mr. Jones…") and then realize that each part in itself isn’t so scary.
It might help also to recognize that you’ve done tough things before and that somewhere inside you is a person who is just as good and smart and capable as the gutsy person you imagine you’re not.
[Ed. Note: Get Michael Masterson’s insights into becoming successful in your business and personal life, achieving financial independence, and accomplishing all your goals on his brand-new website. You’ll find updates on all of Michael’s books, news on upcoming ETR events, Michael’s blog, and room to send in your comments and questions. Check it out today.]
Ten Bucks Took Her From Single Mom to Real Estate Multi-Millionaire!
Eighteen years ago, Dwan Bent-Twyford was a newly-divorced single mother with no job, an 8-month old daughter and just $75 in her purse.
Luckily, Dwan discovered a low-risk way to make thousands in a little-known segment of the real estate market that’s growing exponentially. Once she knew the secret, she made $22,000 on her first deal with just a $10 investment.
Now you can discover the secrets Dwan is using to close profitable deals every month… plus the most closely-guarded strategies 9 other top investors are using to make a killing in today’s volatile real estate market. Click here to learn how.
Should You Take Garlic Supplements?
Garlic supplements are one of the best-selling natural products around, with a reputation for lowering cholesterol. But patients with high cholesterol who have been given small amounts of garlic supplements have not shown any dramatic improvement. These results have prompted certain skeptics of nutritional supplements to dismiss garlic.
But don’t reject garlic completely. It may not do much to lower cholesterol levels, but it has many other health benefits. Based on the studies I have read, garlic may help lower blood pressure, has antimicrobial activity, and could have anti-cancer potential. Plus, it tastes great.
Some evidence suggests that the benefits of raw garlic are reduced when garlic is cooked or processed and packaged in pill form. I prefer to eat raw garlic, and I personally don’t take a garlic supplement. But if you don’t like the taste of garlic, you can find garlic supplements, including odorless garlic, in health food stores or online.
[Ed. Note: Ray Sahelian, M.D., the author of Mind Boosters, is internationally recognized as a moderate voice in the evaluation of natural supplements. Visit Dr. Sahelian’s website at www.RaySahelian.com, and read more of his articles about the supplements you should and shouldn’t be taking at ETR’s new natural health e-letter.]
Feedback Friday: Working While You Go to School
Having to work while attending school may seem like a hardship to some. But Michael Masterson views it as a benefit. In his response to Warren Smith a few weeks ago, Michael explained why it was giving Warren "the opportunity to become a more powerful, productive, and ultimately more successful person." Here’s what some of your fellow readers had to say on the subject:
"I loved your answer to the young man who had to work his way through college. I also was given that ‘gift.’ It had benefits that, as you already know, I can’t even fit into this e-mail. My old college friends sometimes talk about the parties they went to and all of the crazy things they did. On one occasion, my old apartment-mate said, ‘Where were you girl? Oh yeah - you were always studying or working on that liberal arts (English, journalism) degree.’
"Currently, I am taking AWAI’s copywriting program and working on the final draft of a novel I’ve written with my father. As busy as things have gotten, I can tell you that having to manage my time during my college days has come to serve me as a huge advantage."
- Rebecca Case
Lebanon, OH
"I dunno where you went to school, but as a person who took anatomy at (then) Columbus Technical Institute and breezed through with a B back in 1970 (and, yes, I was carrying a full load as well as working part-time to support myself), and who has tried to take it at the same school (now Columbus State Community College) in the last year while working, there is no way a person can do a full-time school schedule and work full-time!
"In the anatomy class (6 hours of class per week for 5 hours credit), we were told upfront that we needed to spend 18 to 20 hours a week outside of class in studying, spending time in the lab, and completing assignments just to keep up - and that does not mean to get an A.
"I finally decided that retaking all these classes just so I could take the Ohio State Licensing exam in massage therapy, for which I already had a 750-hour certificate accepted by the National Exam Board, was becoming a complete waste of my time. The school was requiring that I completely retake the program of study as well as extra classes called prerequisites. I am moving to a state where I can practice and will continue on toward a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.
"As I am in my late 50s and my daughter and her family live in the state to which I am moving, I feel I have made a great decision. I just wanted you to know the state of educational requirements, at least in Ohio. I suspect they are similar in most places.
"On another note, I really enjoy reading my Early to Rise subscription, and your thoughts in particular."
- Gloria Bloore
Gahanna, OH
"I want to congratulate you on your reply to Warren Smith.
"All your thoughts are very helpful and practical. They also properly touch important parts of our lives: How we see ourselves, how we can have experience of work, how we can build a business."
- Kornelia Hermann
Blairsville, GA
It’s Good to Know: Extended-Stay Hotels
Veteran business travelers are familiar with extended-stay hotels - utilitarian suites with kitchenettes, standard hotel furniture, and discounts for long stays. However, a new trend in the hospitality industry finds major hoteliers getting in on the act… and bringing a little luxury to the table.
Starwood, InterContinental, and Hyatt are among a group of corporations trying to capture a piece of this lucrative market by either renovating existing properties or building new hotels and outfitting the rooms with upgraded features, such as HDTVs, grocery shopping services, stainless steel appliances, DVD players, and down pillows.
(Source: Budget Travel)
Do You Have What It Takes - and I Mean Really Have What It Takes - to Make It? In the Next 30 Days You Could Be Telling Your Boss to Take a Long Walk Off a Short Pier!
The leeches won’t stop till you drop.
Look, I’m sure you’ve felt it before… no matter how much you make it seems someone always has their hand in your pocket.
Your boss, the IRS, even your credit card companies, they’re all taking turns at your wallet.
If you’ve finally reached your boiling point and would love to stop these leeches from sucking you dry then you owe it to yourself to read on… But only if you’re serious about getting out of the daily grind. This isn’t for the faint of heart.
- Patrick Coffey
Word to the Wise: Temerity
"Temerity" (tuh-MER-ih-tee) - from the Latin for "rashly" - is boldness that is sometimes unreasonable or foolhardy.
Example (as I used it today): "You don’t need to quash your politeness to succeed. You need to ratchet up your temerity."
[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker … build your self-confidence and intellect … increase your attractiveness to others … just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR’s new Words to the Wise CD Library.]
Michael Masterson
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2007