http://www.earlytorise.com The Web's Most Popular Newsletter Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:20:46 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en To accomplish great things, you have to set specific objectives. Then you must take the appropriate actions to reach your goal. Just as important is how you think about your goal. Do you "hope" you can achieve it? Does it seem like something you'll try to do... and ... http://www.earlytorise.com/2009/11/20/predict-your-future.html You don't have to spend hours on a treadmill or run for miles. In fact, doing that can be counterproductive. As Dr. Al Sears writes in his book, The Doctor’s Heart Cure, endurance exercise actually makes the heart, lungs, and muscles smaller. They can perform longer ... http://www.earlytorise.com/2009/11/20/the-cardio-myth.html Henry Ford once said: "You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." Well, some people keep trying. You've seen it. The ne'er-do-well who keeps bragging about his big plans. The office ... http://www.earlytorise.com/2009/11/20/the-promises-you-make.html You are trying to persuade someone to do something. He is resistant. You suspect it is because he has misgivings he prefers not to talk about. You don't want to upset or offend him, but you do want to get his okay. What do you do? ... http://www.earlytorise.com/2009/11/20/the-is-it-closing-technique.html In a recent article reporting on "e-signatures" for contracts and other documents, this quotation appeared: "How do you know it was me who signed it?" The proper uses of I and me are among the first grammatical rules that schoolchildren are taught. ... http://www.earlytorise.com/2009/11/20/the-language-perfectionist-all-about-you.html A "swipe" file is a collection of promotions -- mailed by successful marketers -- that you have saved. "A good swipe file is better than a college education," says my old direct-marketing "professor," master copywriter Milt Pierce. ... http://www.earlytorise.com/2009/11/20/use-a-swipe-file-to-write-promotions-better-and-faster.html Inveterate (in-VET-ur-it) -- from the Latin for "chronic" or "long standing" -- means habitual or firmly established. Example (as used by Clayton Makepeace today): "There are pretty much only two kinds of prospects in a marketer's universe: (1) casual copy scanners, and ... http://www.earlytorise.com/2009/11/19/todays-words-that-work-inveterate.html There are pretty much only two kinds of prospects in a marketer's universe: (1) casual copy scanners, and (2) inveterate readers. Hand a sales letter to a dozen people, and you'll see what I mean. Some of them -- the inveterate readers ... http://www.earlytorise.com/2009/11/19/why-sidebars-are-crucial.html A few months ago, I thought I'd found a great new partner to promote one of my sideline businesses: The International Sketch Comedy Championships. Through a friend, I was introduced to a former "A list" actor. He'd had starring roles in some big hits 20 years ... http://www.earlytorise.com/2009/11/19/a-good-place-to-find-partners.html Second-guessers -- bosses who delegate authority and then take some of it back -- are a very odious sort. Most management books advise you to confront them. In some cases, that may be necessary. But in most cases I've witnessed, second-guessing is a response to a ... http://www.earlytorise.com/2009/11/19/what-to-do-when-your-boss-is-looking-over-your-shoulder.html