How to Get Paid for Interviewing Hotshot Entrepreneurs and Celebrities
- WEALTHY: Using market volatility to score big (Rick Pendergraft)
- HEALTHY: One type of cardio that may actually be good for you (Craig Ballantyne)
- WISE: Leonard Bernstein on being a good interviewer
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Make money by asking questions (Marc Charles)
- What’s a squeeze page? (Jessica Kurrle)
- It’s Fun to Know… about costly critters
- Add “cant” to your vocabulary
==Highly Recommended==
Are You Sick and Tired of Feeling Sick and Tired?
That’s exactly the way I felt last year…all the time.
I’m a 46-year-old mother of three young kids and the CEO of a $25 million publishing company.
By this time last year, my fatigue was so severe that every afternoon I had to close my office door and put my head on the desk in sheer exhaustion. Then one evening, I ate a dinner that resolved all my health problems — and utterly changed my life forever.
You don’t have to feel tired anymore!
Always Looking for New Ideas
On a recent business trip to Atlanta, I was able to spend time with another seasoned trader. You will be hearing his name in the coming months – but for now, we will just call him T.G. He and I were discussing the present craziness in the market. And we shared with each other the actions we take when things get like this.
The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) was hitting all-time highs at the time, so our discussion turned to this indicator. The VIX measures volatility in the market by looking at the pricing of S&P options in the front two months (the next two calendar months). A high VIX means the market is more volatile. A low VIX means the market is not so volatile.
I have been watching the VIX for a long time, and have used it to profit from time to time. Usually, I do that by taking advantage of large moves in one direction or the other to make contrarian plays on the overall market. But I learned a new way to use the VIX from T.G. - as a trade allocation tool.
For example, from July ‘07 through July ‘08, the VIX traded in a range between 20 and 35, for the most part. When the VIX recently jumped to over 50, T.G. knew he could cut his trade allocation in half. Because the volatility had doubled, he could get the same amount on his gains with half as much money committed to the trade. Therefore, if he normally put $10,000 into each trade, he could now cut that to $5,000 in each trade with the same monetary targets.
So if the VIX is low and the average movement in a day is only 1-2 percent, he can expect to make approximately $150-$200 per day on the $10,000 trade. If the VIX is high and the daily moves are 3-4 percent per day, he can expect to make $150-$200 on the $5,000 trade.
In a volatile period, it is better to have less money at risk and more cash on the sidelines. The method that T.G. explained to me is certainly worth considering as a way to lower your allocation without lowering your reward.
[Ed. Note: With the market's crazy fluctuations, it's more important than ever to keep your investing strategies simple. Market analyst Rick Pendergraft has put together an educational program that lays out the simple steps you need to take to make money in any market condition. Not only do you get three months of Rick's best recommendations, you also learn how to make good investment choices yourself. Get the details here.]
“In my personal experience, the few really good interviewers have either breadth of knowledge or depth of insight.”
Leonard Bernstein
How to Get Paid for Interviewing Executives, Hotshot Entrepreneurs, and Celebrities
By Marc Charles
Did you know that you can get paid for asking questions? It’s true! And in the process you’ll meet interesting people, make powerful contacts in various industries, and, most important, be doing “work” that is fun and easy.
In fact, I made more than $10,000 in my first three months with this niche business. I simply interviewed executives and “tech gurus” in the beginning days of the dot-com hysteria. All of the interviews were conducted by phone or e-mail. I then sold the interviews to business publications, news-driven websites, general-interest magazines, e-zines, and specialty publishers for $100 to $500 each.
Though the dot-com bubble has long since burst, I’ve found that this is still a very viable business opportunity. CEOs, hotshot entrepreneurs, and celebrities love getting the attention and publicity to help them stand out from their peers. Most of the executives I’ve interviewed became giddy when “their stories” appeared in the mainstream news or in top business publications.
So where do you find potential interviewees?
Search the newswires for press releases, especially those announcing major company changes or other newsworthy events. It’s easy to do on sites like Google News, BusinessWire.com, and PRWeb.com. Jot down CEO names and company Web addresses, and go to their websites to find specific contact information. Then send each CEO a friendly but professional e-mail. Introduce yourself as a freelance columnist and request an interview.
Keep your request simple and to the point. (Two or three sentences, total. These people are busy.) Often you will be referred to the company’s corporate communications or PR department. They’ll give you guidelines for the interviews and help set up the interview time. If they ask you where the interview will be published, tell them you have an extensive contact list of top editors and publishers who may be interested once the interview is completed. (If you don’t have a contact list, start one today.)
Yes, it’s as simple as that. I’ve only been turned down six times since I started doing this. It’s amazing how much you can accomplish if you just try, isn’t it?
The best interviews are more like conversations that flow freely and comfortably. But you do have to do some prep work to make them appropriate for publication.
The first thing to do is develop an outline for each interview. Check out interviews on sites like Entrepreneur.com or Inc.com and study the questions the interviewers asked as the interviews progressed. What sorts of questions led the interviewees to reveal the best information? What questions did they not like?
The next step is to do a little “pre-call” research. This will help you understand the person you’re interviewing, what they do, and their competition. If you don’t prepare for an interview in this way, it will not go well. Trust me.
You also need to come up with a unique angle – a big idea that will interest readers and convince publishers to buy your interview. One of the best ways to do this is to tie the interview to hot current events or news. There are hundreds of ways to do this, but I like to use Google News.
Let’s say you’ve secured an interview with the CEO of a top software company. Their software enables users to make telephone calls over the Internet without any special hardware. If you search Google News under the Technology section, you’ll find that Mobile VoIP is a hot new technology. So I would tie the interview to Mobile VoIP.
If the executive prefers to do the interview via e-mail instead of over the phone, just send him a copy of your questions. But make sure you ask him to be as specific as possible with his answers. And never ask questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. That doesn’t make for a very compelling interview.
Of course, no matter how good the interview turns out, it does you no good if you don’t have anywhere to publish it… and get paid. That’s where your contact list comes in.
I built my initial contact list of managing editors, writers, and publishers by searching Google and other top engines. But I also used dozens of trade directories like the Gebbie Press All-In-One Media Directory.
Most publishers will request “exclusive rights” to an interview. That means you can’t turn around and sell it to another publication. That’s okay. In fact, as I gained more experience I charged extra for exclusive rights.
Eventually, I built up a good reputation – and publishers and editors started sending me assignments for interviews they desperately wanted (but were unable to obtain). I conducted those special-assignment interviews for $350 to $750 each.
It’s a blast obtaining “impossible” interviews with executives, hotshot entrepreneurs, and celebrities. I approached this business like a game, and you should too!
[Ed. Note: Marc Charles is an expert at discovering low-effort business opportunities with high profit potential.
And now you have the chance to meet him in person... and pick his brain about the best entrepreneurial ventures around. Just sign up for ETR's 2008 Information Marketing Bootcamp. Not only will you get to hear about Marc's freshest business opportunities, you'll also get insight into the Internet's hottest trends from 11 other money-making masters. And be prepared to be blown away. We've insisted that each speaker share at least one idea that could place $100,000 cash money in your pocket within 12 months or less... regardless of your current level of skill, expertise, or the state of your business. Learn how to reserve your spot right here.]
I Can’t Take It Anymore…
When you are in the know about something – like I am about generating sales online – you can see right through the smoke and mirrors. You clearly see the true money-machine the Internet could be… in the right hands. Now I’m going to show you exactly how to make money online in 3 easy steps.
Yes, it’s that easy. And some have been hiding the real secret all this time. Check out everything for yourself by clicking here…
The Marketing Powerhouse With a Strange Name
When I first started at ETR in the fall of 2006, I didn’t know what a squeeze page was… let alone how powerful a marketing tool it can be.
“Squeeze page” or “name squeeze” are affectionate industry terms for a page that asks your reader to enter his e-mail address in exchange for some valuable content. The content may come in the form of a report, sales letter, audio, or even video file.
Here are two ways we use squeeze pages at ETR:
1. Outside Media Buying. When we test an online sales promotion with an outside list of names (as opposed to our house list), we gather the name of each potential new customer who responds via a squeeze page. We then direct her to a sales letter that gives her a chance to buy the product or service we’re selling. Not only does the squeeze page help us grow our house list (which we can use as leverage when we trade mailings with other online marketers), it is also a way to mitigate the cost of the “media buy” (renting the outside list).
2. Internal Customer Grouping. We also use squeeze pages to ask our readers to raise their hands and say, “Yes, I am interested in what you are offering.” They express interest by giving us their name in order to receive information about something we hope to get them to sign up for… a teleconference, for instance. This has a double benefit: The act of having to enter their e-mail address a second time to access information about the offer helps to heighten the exclusivity factor and build excitement in the reader. It also pre-qualifies the reader as interested in the product.
MaryEllen Tribby and Michael Masterson explore the importance of squeeze pages in their new book Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business. If you are serious about growing your organization, I highly recommend that you get yourself a copy of this book TOMORROW – as soon as it becomes available – and keep it on your desk. You will go back to it again and again to get ideas for promoting your products or services. It is a must read for any business owner.
[Ed. Note: The more marketing channels you use, the more money you stand to make. But before you jump into any new form of marketing, you should know a little about it. You can get the details behind channels like Internet marketing, television, magazines, and much more in the brand-new book MaryEllen Tribby co-wrote with Michael Masterson. The book officially comes out tomorrow - but you can learn more about it and the power of multi-channel marketing right now.]
Internet Marketing Expert David Cross on Changing the Channel: “If I’d Only Had and Followed the Advice in This Incredible Book All Those Years Back…”
“My first ‘online business’ was in 1989, using bulletin boards. People consider me an ‘expert’ at online marketing now, but really it’s because I’ve made and learned from many, many mistakes along the way.
“If I’d only had and followed the advice in Changing the Channel all those years back it could have cut short my own and my clients’ paths to success, both online and offline. What Michael Masterson and MaryEllen Tribby have done in this incredible book is crystallize decades of classic marketing and online wisdom and experience into a practical, easy-to-repeat formula that anyone in business – from a small startup to a large corporation – can follow.
“I’m going to suggest to every businessperson and marketer I know that they must read and apply these timeless tips immediately. Applying the principles in the final chapter alone is enough to revolutionize any online business.”
David Cross
Senior Internet Consultant, Agora Inc.
The Low-Intensity Cardio Lie
Once in a while, a study comes along that surprises me. For instance, I recently found one showing that cardio works for fat loss – as long as it is high-intensity cardio.
Researchers at the University of Virginia assigned 27 obese women (average age 51) to one of three groups…
1. The control group did no exercise training.
2. The second group did five days per week of low-intensity exercise (LIE). (Gotta love that acronym… truly represents the “slow cardio lie.”)
3. The third group did three days per week of high-intensity cardio exercise (HIC) plus two days per week of LIE.
Instead of exercising for a specific length of time in every session – LIE or HIC – the subjects exercised long enough to burn 400 calories. So no group burned more calories than the others, though the third group burned the 400 calories faster in their three HIC workouts each week.
And HIC kicked LIE’s butt! The study found that the subjects in the low-intensity exercise group did not lose fat. On the other hand, the subjects in the high-intensity cardio group lost a significant amount of abdominal fat.
So, once again, research has shown that…
- Exercising harder results in more fat loss in less time.
- Only hard exercise burns belly fat.
- Low-intensity cardio won’t help you lose fat.
I prefer interval training to cardio for my clients who are on a fat-loss program. But the results of this study have influenced me to make a slight change in my recommendations.
I now occasionally throw in some high-intensity cardio for my clients, usually as a 20- or 30-minute session done at a pace they can barely maintain for that length of time. They don’t like it, but it works. (Most of them prefer the interval training.)
If you are interested in trying this, you can add HIC to your program up to three times per week. Just remember to self-monitor your body for any symptoms of overuse injuries – and, as always, TRAIN SAFE.
I’ll give the last word to the University of Virginia researchers who stated, “The present data indicate that body composition changes are affected by the intensity of exercise training with HIC more effectively for reducing total abdominal fat and subcutaneous abdominal fat in obese women.”
[Ed. Note: If you think long, slow cardio is the best way to lose weight, you've fallen victim to one of the most common fitness myths around. Discover 5 more myths about exercise - and how to combat them - right here.
For simple ideas that can help you find more energy, better health, less pain, and a dramatic boost in overall vitality, sign up for ETR's free natural health newsletter.]
It’s Fun to Know: The Costly Critter Chronicles
• In June, a 26-year-old man in Alabama caused $80,000 worth of damage to his home while trying to kill a swarm of bees.
• In July, a Santa Fe, New Mexico resident tried to scorch a rattlesnake, and caused severe fire damage to her home. (No word yet on whether the rattlesnake survived.)
• In August, a 17-year-old boy in Nevada was trying to kill spiders – and accidentally set his family’s home on fire.
• In September, a Buddhist monk in Japan burned down his temple trying to destroy a hornet’s nest. (Instant karma? Perhaps.)
(Source: Associated Press, KOB-TV, Mobile Press-Register)
==Highly Recommended==
There’s No Reason Why You Shouldn’t Be the Next Overnight Success Story…
Maybe you’ve been hearing about all those “overnight” Internet success stories and always wish you could be next. Well, it’s finally time it happened to you…
One of my colleagues made $1,380,491 in four short months, starting with only a $50 investment in a new online business that could be nearly as profitable for YOU this year.
If you will open your eyes to the possibility, I want to show you how you could leave the corporate rat race, get into the same easy-to-operate business, and make so much money your head would spin.
Plus, it is easier than you might think. All you have to do is follow a simple and easy plan that walks you – step by step – through this online business that takes full advantage of our global economy and the Internet. To see if your financial success is right around the corner, continue here…
Word to the Wise: Cant
“Cant” (KANT) – from the Latin for singing/chanting – is empty, insincere talk, implying what is not felt.
Example (as used by Benita Eisler in Byron: Child of Passion, Fool of Fame): “[Lord Byron's poem] Don Juan delighted London gossipmongers with plentiful allusions to the scandal surrounding the poet’s divorce from his young wife of one year and his subsequent flight from English ‘hypocrisy and cant.’”
[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.]
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2008
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