* Highly
Recommended *
An
Opportunity To Skyrocket Profits In Your Business
I'm
talking about the opportunity for you to profit massively.
I'm also talking about a once-in a lifetime chance to learn
fortune-building business secrets.
Jay
Abraham knows nearly 100 different ways (that you probably
don't know) to more successfully sell your products or service
- offline or online. He knows over 50 ways to make more money
from the same effort, time and opportunity just by changing
the marketing strategy and approach you follow.
Anthony
Robbins says, "One idea Jay gave me in the first hour
increased our company's marketing effectiveness by more than
100%."
If
you want to start making a ton more money and have a clear,
direct path to real prosperity and business wealth, you owe
it to yourself to look
into this program.
-
Patrick Coffey
A
Realistic Look at High-Paid Jobs
By
Michael Masterson
If
you are lucky enough to land a high-paying job, expect it to
be tough. Prepare yourself mentally for the work involved -
not just longer-than-average hours but also greater-than-average
stress.
Plan
to work hard in the beginning and to keep working hard as long
as you are employed. Keeping a highly remunerative position
requires above-average performance and endurance. You can't
expect to rest on your laurels. From management's perspective,
it's not about what you've given the company in the past but
what you are contributing
now.
If
you expect the work to be hard, you won't panic when you find
out it is. If you know you will have to outperform most of
your colleagues, you won't feel stressed when asked to do so.
Being
happy with a job is much more about your expectations than
it is about the job itself. If, however, you do find yourself
hating your job and you can't shake yourself free of the bad
feeling, go ahead and quit. But don't quit until you have found
another job that is better. "Better" doesn't mean
better paid. It means a job that offers you a better chance
to grow and develop.
In
looking for a replacement job, don't worry so much about what
you will get paid today. Instead, think about how much you
can make two or three years from now, once you prove yourself.
And
don't expect that better job to land in your lap. Well-paid
positions that offer fast-track career potential are few and
far between. To give yourself the best possible chance of replacing
that "bad" high-paid job with a "good" one,
you'll need a plan of attack. And you'll need to commit to
investing approximately 500 hours in your job search.
Five
hundred hours may sound like a lot of time, but it takes time
to do anything well. It may motivate you to know that most
people abandon efforts to land a good job after 40 to 50 hours.
Think about how much better your job search will be, since
you'll be putting in 10 times that amount of time.
[Ed.
Note: This article was adapted from a chapter in the soon-to-be-released
book Seven Years to Seven Figures: The Fast Track Plan
to Becoming a Millionaire, Copyright (c) 2006 by Michael
Masterson. Reprinted with permission of John Wiley & Sons,
Inc.]
"Change
is the law of life. And those who look only to the past
or present are certain to miss the future."
- John
F. Kennedy
Why
Make Changes?
By
David Cross
A
passion of mine since childhood is cooking and all things epicurean
- and after working in 21 countries over the last 18 years,
I've been fortunate enough to learn some fantastic recipes
from some of the world's great chefs. People rave about my
cooking, and I'll happily throw together a feast for two to
102.
But
afterward, the kitchen looks like a bomb hit it. And then I
stack the dishwasher with gay abandon, in a way that my wife
finds bothersome.
The
fine points of stacking dishwashers are lost to me - but for
some, it is important.
Sometimes,
it's the little things that matter more than anything else.
Recently,
I witnessed the enormous impact that one seemingly miniscule
thing can have on the success of an online business - a small,
golden padlock not much bigger than a match head.
After
working with the developers of a particular e-commerce site
for some years, we'd brought about changes that doubled the
number of people checking out via their shopping cart. But
the shopping cart had been set up in a way that, although the
entire checkout process was secure, the page where
you entered your credit card details looked insecure.
All because that padlock that normally appears in the Web browser
wasn't there.
There
was an entirely plausible technical reason for this, and the
developers were correct in saying the site was "secure." Because
the site was, in fact, secure, they assumed customers would
feel safe about completing their transactions.
I
questioned that assumption.
I
suggested - on a few occasions - that the absence of the padlock
was likely to have a negative impact on sales. And each time,
I was told "It's secure." Or "We haven't had
more than a handful of complaints in the past five years." Or "If
people just right-mouse-click and go to 'properties,' they'll
see that the checkout page is completely secure."
Finally,
after much badgering, they agreed to re-do the shopping cart,
test whether the change had any effect whatsoever, and, in
the process (they hoped), shut me up.
The
results threw even me for a loop.
Before
making this change, less than five percent of people who started
the checkout process completed it (by entering their credit
card details and submitting their order).
In
the two months immediately after we made the change to have
that the golden padlock appear on the checkout page - and with
no other changes or enhancements - nearly 10 percent of those
who started the checkout process completed it.
That's
more than a 100 percent improvement ... by questioning an assumption
and making one seemingly simple change.
By
making that change, millions ofdollars a year were
added to this company's online sales!
Let's
consider another assumption that may be hurting your online
business.
Do
you assume that people who abandon your shopping cart or checkout
process stop wanting what you are offering? Something I learned
from my dad years ago taught me to question that.
My
first "sales" job was working Saturdays in his plumbing
supplies store. "Sometimes people need to think things
over before they're ready to buy," my dad counseled me.
But that didn't stop me from feeling down when nobody bought
anything from me.
My
dad showed me how it was done. He'd chat with people and get
them asking questions. And if they weren't buying, he'd try
to leave one question he'd have to "check on" - maybe
the availability of a color or whether something special was
in stock or the best way to do something. He'd say he'd call
them back with the answer.
Invariably,
my dad's follow-up phone call closed a sale he'd navigated
skillfully from the moment the person first walked in his showroom
some days earlier.
What
was my dad's secret? He seemed so relaxed about the
whole thing.
I
think it is this ...
My
dad developed a selling process that accommodated multiple
contacts with potential customers. He learned when to close
a sale and when more information or time was needed. If he
had assumed that not making a sale on the first visit was an
indication the person didn't want what he had to offer, he'd
have been far less successful.
Businesses
that have systematically put this assumption to the test have
been well rewarded. They carefully tracked customers who started
the ordering process but then bailed out, for whatever reason.
Then they followed up with targeted e-mail promotions aimed
only at those people. The premise: They were interested enough
to start checkout, so maybe - like my dad's customers
- they just needed more time.
The
companies I know that tried this approach experienced fantastic
results consistently - always at least a 25 percent increase
in sales compared to the original promotion, and sometimes
up to a 60 percent increase. And this was achieved simply by
making a second contact with people who had expressed interest
in buying from them.
My
dad would have been proud!
What
can you learn from these examples?
In Message
#1814, I pointed out that you need to
be aware of how your prospects' assumptions can lead
them astray when they're online. Well ... you need to
be equally aware of how your own assumptions can lead
you astray when it comes to making decisions about your
business.
Online
businesses - especially successful ones - can be closed to
change. They figure "It's working ... so why not just
leave it alone?" But if you are open to performing the
kind of audit I recommended in Message
#1814 - and testing any new ideas that result
- it could help bring about a significant change for the better
in your online business.
Today's
Action Plan: Take a close look at your online business.
If possible, get some friends and colleagues who fit your
customer profile to investigate your e-mail promotions, website,
shopping cart, and checkout process and give you their honest
feedback. What assumptions are you making that may be hurting
your business or your relationships with your customers?
Test your assumptions. Roll with the winners and cut your
losses.
[Ed.
Note: David Cross is Senior Internet Consultant to Agora Publishing
in Baltimore. He is was also the Master of Ceremonies at our
first Early To Rise Internet Marketing Conference. If you would
like to hear what David had to say, click here.]
* Highly
Recommended *
Don't
Bother Knockin' If the Marriott Is Rockin'
It's
coming down to the wire ... and nearly 200 Early to Risers
now have their travel itineraries locked and loaded.
Destination?
Delray Beach, Florida. Purpose? Converging for our breakthrough
Information Marketing Bootcamp starting October 30th.
The
stars are lining up ... and the joint's going to be jumping.
If you've ever been to an ETR Bootcamp, you know the feeling
of excitement and electricity in the air ... and it goes on
(and on and on) for three information-packed days and three
fun-and-networking-filled nights. (Catch up on sleep before
you come, because you won't be getting much here!)
And
if you haven't come down to see us yet ... what the heck are
you waiting for? This is the event of the year, and we're pulling
out all the stops ...
We'll
work with you to build your own customized online marketing
plan that can generate millions of dollars in sales every year.
You'll be mentored by a group of top online business-building
experts that are second to none ... extraordinary entrepreneurs
such as Rich Schefren, Joe Vitale, Brian Tracy, Jeff Paul,
Brad Antin, Jim Fleck, and Derek Gehl... not to mention Michael
Masterson himself.
And
that's just the "work" part of the conference! After
hours, you've got the ocean right across the street, dozens
of cool restaurants and clubs, hundreds of smart and fun people
like yourself for socializing and networking... It's quite
a happening! In fact, it's almost like breezing through four
years of college, your best friend's wedding reception, Mardi
Gras, and getting an MBA ... all in three wild-and-crazy days
and nights.
And
the whole ETR staff will be there with bells on: Will, MaryEllen,
Jon, Patrick, Suzanne ... and, of course, Michael Masterson.
We'll be looking out for you every step of the way.
But
again, I must issue this "Friendly Warning": This
event will be completely sold out within a matter of days.
So if you've been thinking about joining us, I urge you to register
immediately. Don't miss out on the event of the
year.
-
Charlie Byrne
Fighting
Free Radicals
By
Al Sears, MD
Free
radicals occur naturally in the body (as a byproduct of the
metabolism process) and work to neutralize viruses and bacteria.
But pollution, radiation, and cigarette smoke can also spawn
free radicals. And if free radical production becomes excessive,
it can destroy cells ... which leads to accelerated aging and
disease. That's why you need to supplement with antioxidants,
your body's free radical fighters.
Along
with a multivitamin, I advise my patients to take additional
doses of the following two antioxidants:
Vitamin
A
Vitamin
A is in a family of compounds called carotenoids. Best known
for aiding in good eyesight, this vitamin does much more.
- Vitamin
A prevents night blindness by preventing free radical damage
in the eye.
- It
acts as a powerful free radical scavenger in fat-soluble
tissues.
- It
lowers the risk of macular degeneration, the most common
cause of blindness in the elderly.
- It
decreases the risks of lung and breast cancer by supporting
the immune system.
- It
maximizes skin health by playing a key role in the integumentary
system.
Vitamin
A is found naturally in meat, milk, eggs, liver, carrots, and
spinach. I recommend supplementing with 2,500 IUs per day.
Vitamin
E
"Vitamin
E" is actually a generic term for a group of eight compounds
- four types of tocopherols and four types of tocotrienols.
In their separate forms, these compounds work differently in
the body. (Some tocotrienols, for example, are best absorbed
by the skin.)
- Vitamin
E fights free radicals that cause diseases of inflammation
(such as rheumatoid arthritis).
- It
lowers the risk of heart disease by increasing blood circulation.
- It
lowers the risk of cancers in the prostate, colon, and breast.
It's
important to note that too much of one type of tocopherol in
the body can stop the absorption of the others. So read the
label before you buy. A good mix of all four tocopherols and
all four tocotrienols is your best bet. I recommend supplementing
with 400 IUs of Vitamin E a day.
Both
Vitamin A and Vitamin E are oil soluble and should be taken
in gel-cap form. For best absorption, take them with a teaspoon
of flaxseed oil or peanut butter or during a meal that includes
fat.
[Ed.
Note: Dr. Sears, a practicing physician and the author of The
Doctor's Heart Cure and 12 Secrets
to Virility, is a leading authority on longevity, physical
fitness, and heart health.]
Quick
Writing Tip: 2 Words to Avoid
By
Will Newman
Be
careful when using the words "literally" and "virtually." They're
often misused by writers - even some of the best.
"Literally" means "true
and factual." Misusing this word can create funny images
in your reader's mind. I recently read this from a well-known
author: "I was literally blasted out of my reverie." Literally
blasted? The pieces must have flown all over the place.
"Virtually" means "almost,
nearly, or close at hand." You'll often see it used when
the writer meant "literally." For example: "It
was virtually the most exciting experience I ever had."
As
with most adverbs (words that end in "-ly"), it's
best to avoid using these two words.
[Ed.
Note:Will Newman is the editor of AWAI's The
Golden Thread - a free weekly alert filled
with writing and marketing secrets. And for more secrets to
writing clear, compelling copy, pick up AWAI's
Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting.]
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Word
to the Wise: Epicurean
"Epicurean" (ep-ih-kyoo-REE-un
or ep-ih-KYOOR-ee-un) means devoted to the pursuit of sensual
pleasure, especially to the enjoyment of good food and comfort.
The word is derived from the name of a Greek philosopher -
Epicurus (341-270 BC) - who believed pleasure is the highest
good.
Example
(as used by David Cross today): "A passion of mine since
childhood is cooking and all things epicurean - and after working
in 21 countries over the last 18 years, I've been fortunate
enough to learn some fantastic recipes from some of the world's
great chefs."
