Posts Tagged ‘Glazer-Kennedy’

Begging For Change To Millionaire In One Year. His Secret Revealed…

By: Darcy Juarez on: March 26th, 2013 1 Comment

He was abused and started drinking as a teenager.

Ending up homeless, he begged on the streets for change in order to survive.

Today Toronto Canada native Francis O’Dea is a multi-millionaire.

O’Dea says, “One year I was broke, the next year I was a millionaire.”

What is his secret?

He says for six months he lived on the streets with no clue as to what he wanted or how to get out of his current situation.

He changed his circumstance by changing his focus. 

He got a job and focused on turning his life around.  Later, with a friend, he opened a little coffee shop naming it, “Second Cup.”

Today, Second Cup is Canada’s largest Canadian-based specialty coffee retailer with more than 360 cafes across Canada.  Although, O’Dea sold his shares in Second Cup in 1988 when they had 150 locations, he went on to enjoy an extremely successful business career, receiving the Order of Canada in 2004.

While sometimes it’s a lack of focus on what we want that causes us to stay stuck, other times it’s caused by getting too comfortable in our routine and not knowing how to change our situation.

By just shifting your focus, even slightly, you can create big wins.

Here are some simple ideas for where you can shift your focus to improve your business and your income:

Sharpen your marketing. If your marketing isn’t working the way the way it used to, a quick way to correct the problem is to consider hiring a professional copywriter to audit your copy. While it may make more sense to start fresh, sometimes an audit of an existing piece of copy or funnel can identify slight changes and quick fixes that will make your marketing fresh and profitable again.

Before you hire a copywriter, be sure to read our FREE report:  The 7 Key Questions Every Copywriter You Hire MUST Be Able to Answer To Write Killer Direct Response Copy and Create Marketing Campaigns That Will Outsell The Pants Off Your Competition.

Check your client-attraction system. If you aren’t earning the income you desire, focus on doing one thing every day towards getting more and better clients.  Fine-tune your approach, learn how to identify and attract clients who can pay you big money right now. (Dan Kennedy will introduce and present his new “Specific –Customer-Focus Process® at SuperConference May 2nd –May 4th)

Specialize in a niche. Narrowing your focus in your industry can quickly increase your income.  If you’ve already picked a niche, see if there are courses or certifications which can further qualify you as an expert in your chosen specialty.

Identify a gap. Look for an area which is not being covered well or is in big demand.  For example, Mike Capuzzi of CopyDoodles saw a need in the copy cosmetics field as there were no real options other than to hire a graphic artist or to individually mark up your copy and try to photo copy it. By creating a product to fill that gap, he quickly rose to the expert in his field. Concentrate your effort on identifying and filling a need.

Focusing on the most important activities which keep your business growing is what separates the most successful businesses in the world from the businesses that spend their entire shelf life wondering why nothing they do seems to work.

So if you’re wondering how to bring your business up a notch, look at how you’re spending your time—you might just need a slight focus adjustment.

NOTE: Just a quick reminder that Dan Kennedy will be presenting a very special and rare Internet Webinar with Infusionsoft TODAY – Tuesday March 26th – at 2 pm EST. It’s on the crucial topic commonly referred to as “Lifecycle Marketing”… the real-world “Survive and Thrive” principles Dan has identified based on the many years of research he’s spent looking at the “what works/what doesn’t” marketing efforts of over 10,000 small businesses. When you attend this webinar, you’ll discover:

  • How to fix “follow-up failure”… the devastating death spiral a business experiences when leads wander off into the weeds to disappear forever… without wasting endless hours of your valuable time!
  • Discovering your company’s own unique WOW – the powerful, emotional experience that only YOU bring to the table – and the easiest way imaginable to deliver it to the surprise and delight of your satisfied customers
  • A ferociously simple trick that you can do RIGHT NOW that will enable you to quickly and easily attract, capture and nurture WAY more leads!
  • The crippling disease of multiple system madness… how it’s killing your profits without you even knowing it… and clear steps to take NOW to put you on the vital path to thrive in your business.

And MUCH MORE Besides! Dan doesn’t do these kinds of presentations very often and this one is particularly near and dear to how he thinks about running a successful business. Register for this FREE, rare webinar here.

Four Secret Principles Between The Haves And Have Nots

By: Darcy Juarez on: February 21st, 2013 4 Comments

The other day I read that Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry are due to release a new TV series…

The name of their new series is The Haves and the Have Nots.

Based on the musical play written, produced and directed by Perry, it follows the dynamics of the affluent Cryer family and the family of their not-so-affluent housekeeper – and the dramatic secrets that reside within each.

The show made me think about what I’ve read in recent months about the differences between the “haves” and “have nots” in real life.

A vanishing middle class caused by globalization has driven down wages for people with routine skills. Yet incomes at the top have skyrocketed.

I’ve read that students should focus on science, technology, engineering and math to earn the best money in the future.

The truth is that if you want to be a part of the “haves” it doesn’t matter if you focus on art, English or technology. Or if your business sells services or products that are widely accessible with lots of competition or your business sells products or services that are normally in a low-price point…

Because people will pay more for products and services than you imagine. Plus somebody will always be at the top of the food chain, so to speak, dominating their market, so why shouldn’t it be you?

In Dan Kennedy’s Marketing to the Affluent program, Dan shares story after story of businesses that could easily be commoditized and competing on price, but instead are dominating their market and selling their products and services at top dollar. From pet sitters to guys selling lobster to his story of buying a $350 rubber ball at Disney World.

Here are four simple secret principles you can put into practice immediately to instantly align yourself and guide your business to be among the “haves”:

1)    Stop believing your business is different. In the GKIC February 2013 Gold Letter, Dan Kennedy discusses and shows evidence of how human emotions are the same no matter the educational level, income and affluence level, life experience or sophistication. In other words, no matter their differences, people respond the same to GKIC marketing strategies.

Once you stop believing GKIC marketing ideas won’t work in your business because your clients, customers, patients or business are different, you will experience tremendous financial breakthroughs. So next time you think one of our marketing ideas won’t work, try it first and see what happens.  (If you aren’t currently receiving the Gold Letter, click here to get 2 issues, along with $633.91 of free money-making Info.)

 

2)    Make big changes with small choices.  Every business owner understands the painful necessity of choice in decision-making for their business. It’s these choices and the fear of making the wrong choice that sometimes paralyzes a business owner.

If you find yourself paralyzed by indecision, make a smaller choice to get you started. For example, if you are unsure about a marketing strategy, test a small portion of your target market first to see if the strategy works.

After all, it’s better to do something than nothing. Plus by making a smaller choice, you don’t have to worry so much about making a wrong decision.

 

3)    Differentiate yourself. This is especially important in highly competitive markets. If you want to be able to charge the highest possible fees and never compete on price, you must distinguish yourself from your competitors.

Think you can’t charge more for your products? Think again. Disney charges $350 for a rubber ball that you can buy at Walmart for $5.00.

Think your business is different?

See point one.

(Learn about how to differentiate and avoid commoditization on our upcoming Diamond Member Calls in March and April where Sally Hogshead discusses using customer fascination and three great GKIC members discuss strategy for fighting differentiation in highly competitive and commoditized markets.  Not a Diamond Member? Get access here.)

 

4)    Do something to market your business every day. Many of our most successful members talk about how taking “massive action” has generated a lot of their success. However, for some that seems overwhelming. Realize that even doing one small marketing activity every day can have enormous impact.

Dan has a rule of doing something to drive his business forward every day. That means that sometimes you have to make the choice between quitting work at your normal time or staying ten more minutes to send an email or fax to a potential client. What small choice can you make today that will make a difference in your business tomorrow and beyond?

Follow these four simple principles and before you know it you’ll be one of the “haves” experiencing more freedom, less stress and an income that can provide you with both everything you need and everything you could ever want.

NOTE:  How would you like to be among the “haves” within the next 90 days? You can double your profits when you attend Chief Marketing Officer Dave Dee’s FREE webinar, “The Top 10 Ways to Radically Transform Your Business and Double Your Profits In Just 90 Days”,  on February 21, 2013 at 8:00 PM EST

If you look around and see businesses in your niche doing better than you…or wonder how you can be the leader in your field and one of the “Haves” then you won’t want to miss Dave’s free presentation. Make the choice to register right now so you can begin transforming your life immediately. To register for this FREE event, click here NOW.

Small Things That Provide BIG Impact

By: Dave Dee on: January 31st, 2013 No Comments

In this month’s issue of Success Magazine, best-selling author and keynote speaker Jason Dorsey says people fail because they set too big of goals.

Not that you shouldn’t set big goals…

Dorsey says,

“Most people never reach their biggest goals because they can’t stick to them in the beginning.”

He says the “all-important first 30 or 60 days” is when the “magic” happens.

So what stops people from experiencing “the magic?”

A major success obstacle is people simply can’t break their bad habits and replace them with new habits.

The simplest way to understand this is to think about losing weight. You may have to break bad eating habits and/or start exercising. That means you need to not only get rid of an old habit (eating fully loaded hamburgers at lunch) but form a new, better habit (eating salad for lunch instead.)

This happens in business too. Say you want to increase your income. You may have a set way of doing business that you need to change. Fears you have to overcome. Or organization and productivity habits that need to be re-aligned.

The solution?

Dorsey suggests that you set smaller goals. He says that way you can “achieve goals on your list right away, “see yourself making progress every day,” and “gain the courage necessary to pursue bigger goals.”

Great suggestion. But that’s not all you can do.

Here’s some other “small things” that can provide a BIG impact on your business this year:

Focus on one instead of many. Sometimes it’s not that you have too big of a goal, it’s that you have too many goals. Choose one thing that you are going to succeed at and put all your energy into that.

For example, if you want to double your business, maybe it’s that you should focus all your energy into getting more clients, customers or patients.  Once you achieve that goal then move on to your second most pressing issue.

Realize small changes can equal big gains. Last year, we started offering copy critiques from our professional GKIC copywriters to those who subscribe to Copy Confidential. Often times a suggestion from our copywriters to make a small change to the language or to use one copywriting strategy meant a huge change in results of a campaign.

I also remember Dan Kennedy telling a story about getting paid I believe it was $100,000 to add just a few words to a sales letter. The letter had worked well for a long time, but sales had slowed. The company hired Dan to get the sales letter to work again. By adding a few words to the headline, the sales letter began selling like gangbusters again.

Think about what small changes you can make that will have a big impact. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Adding copy cosmetics to guide your reader, making your copy easier to read as discussed in  Chapter 8 in the Ultimate Sales Letter Book.
  • Unlocking The Secrets of Direct Mail is full of small changes that make a big impact. For instance, instead of sending the same message to everyone, segment your audience and customize your message to consumers. This is easier than you think. Using software like Infusionsoft, you can tag and segment your audience automatically. Sometimes it’s just a matter  of changing a few words, an offer, or a headline to match each specific audience.  It heightens the connection between you and your prospects which can make a big difference in bottom line sales.
  • Shift your focus in selling. Instead of focusing on how many sales presentations you can make or how many sales you can close, shift your thinking to focus on making yourself into the authority on whatever it is you are selling.

 

Think of it this way. If you go to the dentist and she tells you that you need to get a filling, you’re going to get your tooth filled, right? You don’t question it or think about it, you just do it because she says you need to.

By becoming the authority in your market, when it comes time to close a sale, the customer will buy from you because you are the expert and they are going to do what the experts tell them.  (For more on how to become an authority, check out Sales & Persuasion Strategies.)

Dedicate a small, focused time each day. Dan Kennedy’s “an hour a day” success tip Tuesday was “Take an hour a day, every day, and invest it in any one thing: writing, physical fitness, creating publicity, becoming an expert at something, whatever, and you’ll be “world class” in that very fast.”

Time and time again, I’ve witnessed people shift to focusing on just one thing and as a result, rise quickly in their chosen field.

Small but mighty. There’s an old quote, “The mighty Oak was once a little nut that stood its ground.”

Whether it’s setting smaller goals, focusing on one goal instead of many, or carefully choosing the small changes you will make, don’t be afraid to think small. Often “small” makes a BIG and lasting impact that can turn your business into the “giant oak” you’ve been dreaming of.

NOTE: Want something that can dramatically improve your earning power with a lot less stress and strain? Want to stop floundering? Devote just 2 days at our next Fast Implementation Bootcamp. You’ll complete a fully loaded marketing campaign, ready to launch the minute you get home. This is NOT about giving you more knowledge and more information. It’s about making a change in your business today so you can start getting results tomorrow.

Find out why people are raving about this FREE bootcamp. Discover what people are saying and how you can register for our next bootcamp now.

Make Something Happen NOW

By: Darcy Juarez on: January 29th, 2013 1 Comment

Can you believe it’s almost the end of January already?

In an attempt to help members stay on track with their new 2013 goals, the other day we asked members to share what they were doing to improve their business…

A variety of answers came in such as attending mastermind meetings and conferences, studying courses like Magnetic Marketing, finishing a website, working on blog posts, articles and newsletters, writing a book and more.

Another question we asked, “If you could only share one thing, what is the one piece of business advice you would give?”

Again a variety of answers flooded in…

“Create your own product or service and promote it like crazy.”

“Don’t compete on price.”

“Test and tweak, and test and tweak, then test and tweak again.”

Lots of great answers to consider.

Some look at the most successful business models for inspiration.  It’s not uncommon to see successful entrepreneurs doing 20 different things all at once—from lead funnels to newsletters to events to releasing books to coaching programs.

Seeing and hearing all these ideas, it’s easy to come up with ideas and be inspired to do some of them in your own business.

But sometimes instead of ending up with “a success story” you end up with a big “to do” list and a case of overwhelm.

After all, with so many great pieces of advice and so many different ideas to choose from, how do you pick what to do first?

I mean, even just seeing 18 different ideas that are shared as the one “best piece of advice”, makes it hard to pick. Am I right?

If you’ve ever felt that way, I’m here to help with a few suggestions to eliminate overwhelm and get your business moving so you can make things happen in 2013.

Clear out the clutter. Sometimes our lists simply have too many things on them and they need to be simplified. At the end of the year, the GKIC marketing team sat down to evaluate where we were, where we were going and what we wanted to achieve. We realized we were trying to execute too many ideas. We needed to focus more on automating and on making core initiatives run well. So we removed a few items from our list…for now anyway.

Another place that clutter can get in the way is in your head. Instead of lying awake at night with mental clutter, write down all the ideas you like or think of. Then put them aside for when you have time and are ready to implement something new.

Realize there is really only ONE thing you need to do.   There is an old proverb that says, “Some people make things happen, some watch things happen, while others wonder what has happened.”

Of the three, you definitely want to be in the category of the people that “make things happen.” To do this you have to take action immediately.

Disney ran out of money before they finished Disneyland and couldn’t finish some landscaping. So he had his people make up some signs with phony Latin names on them and stick them in the ground next to the weeds.

There are a lot of people with good ideas out there. But very few who take immediate action. They wait to gather all the information, or have enough money, or for the “perfect timing.” Don’t worry about having all the details figured out, just get moving. Because as Dan Kennedy says, “Just by getting into action you’ll leapfrog ahead of 95% of the people around you.”

It’s a million little things. Not one.  Often we hear of the “overnight success” story. People want to know, how someone arrived at success so quickly? The thing is, there is no such thing as overnight success. It’s doing a lot of different things that all add up.

So just pick one or two things and focus on getting those done. When you’ve finished with those, pick two more from your list and focus on those. Give yourself a deadline to shoot for so you keep moving forward. Before you know it, you’ll have done a million different things and you’ll have leapfrogged ahead.

It’s great hearing from members that they are already making things happen in 2013…

Keith Madison writes,

“Though it’s only 14 days into the new year, GKIC has helped me discover some damn stellar breakthroughs for my clients…No B.S. has me generating B.S. (big sums.)”

I hope I’ll be hearing from you soon about the “Big Sums” you are making as a result of clearing the clutter and taking action immediately.

Share your tips in the comments below for clearing out the clutter and making things happen in your business.

NOTE:  Tens of thousands have been on the same road you are now traveling…but only those that take immediate action and implement reach the finish line. If you are new to GKIC, having trouble deciding what to do first or just need some direction on what to do first, check out our FREE Fast Implementation Bootcamp. In just two days’ time, you’ll walk away with a fully loaded marketing campaign ready to send out. Our next Bootcamp takes place March 7-8th. But you’ll want to register now, because seats are filling up quickly and there is only limited room available.

How To Build Your Own “Million Dollar Rolodex”

By: Dan Kennedy on: January 24th, 2013 4 Comments

This month, in the No B.S. Marketing Letter I talked about the only two ways to think about the 1% and 99%.

If you read it, you got a big lesson in how certain thinking and complaints can virtually guarantee you will never be rich—and what to do if you want to change your circumstance and become a member of the 1% club.

Another complaint that comes from the unsuccessful is that success or wealth has more to do with WHO you know than WHAT you know.

Some people may think this is unfair. When they see someone getting ahead because of who they know, they think it’s not right.

But why they feel that’s bad or unfair is beyond me. Like it or don’t, it’s the way the game is.

For as long as people have been conducting business, one of the ways to win at it is to surround yourself with successful people.

In NFL football, it takes 10 yards to get a 1st down. Maybe it should be 8 or 12 yards instead, but it’s 10.

So the coach and his team need to figure out how to get 10 yards in three plays.

It’s the same with your business. Determine your goals and put a plan together to achieve them. For example, if you know you need to get some “who’s” on board, you’ve got to figure out how to get to know the people who can contribute to your success.

My “Million Dollar Rolodex” is called that because I value it that highly. Case in point, a specialty printer I use came from my rolodex. At the time, we had called and gotten three quotes from local printers and one from a little-known, specialty printer, out of state, who did the kind of printing we needed. We saved 55% by knowing about the existence of this printer.

In preparation for February 3rd’s Superbowl, next week, the NFL’s annual traveling NFL Experience will be underway in New Orleans.

The “interactive theme park” spans more than 850,000 square feet and costs $25 for adults and $20 for children 12 and under.

If you’ve ever been to one of these things, there is plenty to do. Interactive stations where you can test your football skills such as punting and throwing. Obstacle courses and chances to try on actual pro football gear. There is a Pro Football Hall of Fame. Food vendors and, of course, an NFL shop.

This is also a good place to meet one of your favorite pro football players, celebrities or some of the major players in business as they are known to be there for the big game and will wander near or around the “Experience”.

There’s a lesson here if you look for it. First of all, if you want “who’s” that can help you be successful, you need to do your homework to figure out who those people are or what type of people they are. If you don’t know who would be helpful to you, how can you expect to recognize them should the opportunity arise let alone find anyone to introduce you to them? It’s worth mentioning that while you may not always have specific names of “who’s”  that can help you, identifying a specific industry or company will help you quickly recognize a successful “who” for you to connect with.

Second, once you’ve identified some “who’s” you should do a little research to figure out what they are interested in, something about their company, etc. This way if you happen to get the opportunity to talk to them, you can establish immediate rapport by discussing something you know they will be interested in.

Third, determine if you know someone who might be able to make an introduction for you.  Remember it’s a small world. You may already know someone who is friends with, works with or plays golf with your “target who.” Usually they are more than willing  to make an introduction for you.  You just have to ask.  (Hint your GKIC membership might be a good place to start. Use your online Success Club, GKIC Chapter meetings, and GKIC events as place to meet “who’s”. Not a member yet? You can take a test drive FREE here.)

Not that I’m suggesting stalking, but if you see that a “who” is an active member of an organization or club or you find out from scanning the paper that they will be speaking at an event, attend the meeting or, if it makes sense, become an active member of that club.

Fourth, know what you are going to say ahead of time.  Make a great first impression and good things are bound to happen. Almost every event I speak at, people want to ask me about their business. Unfortunately, what I often hear are vague generalities. Be specific about what it is you are looking for. No one can help if they don’t know what you want.

Fifth, you should have a follow up plan in place.  Just like a sales letter that is sent out with no follow up, not following up on a potential hot lead will have a similar result.

Start to build your “Million Dollar Rolodex” by putting yourself in situations where you will be surrounded by quality people and then taking action to build rapport and relationships with them.

NOTE: Leeza Gibbons may be best known for her role as one of the original hosts of Entertainment Tonight, but for almost a decade, Leeza has been the force and face behind one of the most successful direct response products ever. She is a made from scratch entrepreneur, a brilliant marketer, a savvy media insider, and a dynamic and exciting speaker. Wouldn’t she be a powerful “who” to meet and have in your corner? Everyone who attends the GKIC Women’s Next Level Summit will have a meet ‘n greet photo opportunity with Leeza.

Of course this is only one of the many “who’s” that will be featured speakers at this event. And it has been my experience that events with this caliber of speakers tends to draw the best, brightest and most successful entrepreneurs as they understand the value of being there. That means chances are good you’ll be sitting among some pretty successful people who might just be able to help you out.

Even better, you’d expect to pay for an event like this. But we’re giving it to members FREE, with a refundable seat deposit. That means you pay $97 to reserve your seat and once you show up at the event, we’ll give you your money back. www.gkicwomen.com

P.P.S. Last I checked, this event was pretty close to being filled to capacity. And of course, this is going out to over 100,000 people who receive our content emails. So if you want to attend, you’d be wise to hurry and register now.

For Ladies Only? You Can’t Be Serious…

By: Dan Kennedy on: January 15th, 2013 5 Comments

Over the years I’ve become known as “the professor of harsh reality.”

I was dubbed this because I was the only one in a chorus of yes-men who would ever point out the flaws in a proposed idea.

Not everyone always likes to hear about flaws. In fact, I learned early in life that most people prefer delusion to reality. Dislodging people from their delusions often winds up making you the brunt of their anger—the “shoot the messenger syndrome.”

However, you and I need to relentlessly seek out reality in our own businesses and our own lives, even when unpleasant or uncomfortable as real success is based on truth.

I suppose that sounds elementary, but in actuality,  people  often avoid hearing unpleasant truths.

Next month I’ll be speaking at GKIC’s Women Entrepreneur’s Next Level Summit where I’ll be delivering some straight facts. I’ve decided to toss caution and tact aside and deliver a very ungentle collection of reality and advice that comes from my experience and dealings with the most successful women entrepreneurs, thought leaders and celebrities I’ve worked with over 38 years—and there have been many.

Last year we began this event which is exclusively for women entrepreneurs leading or engaged as partners in business, not as an exercise in segregation, but as what Walt Disney called a “plus-ing.” A plus-ing is an additional opportunity for exploration of shared interests, exchange of knowledge, networking and inspiration. To simplify: more knowledge is better than less knowledge.

I’ve heard from some of what I –affectionately and respectfully—call the “women with balls” in GKIC that they were not happy about this event. They wanted to know why they were being singled out. They felt they were being asked to sit at the kids table. Admittedly I can see their point. A lot of what I see merchandised to women in business by women coaches and gurus doesn’t have much substance.

But I don’t see this event that way…

To me, it’s another means of expanding and providing additional opportunity to a group with special interests—similar to what we’ve done with Info-SUMMITs just for info-marketers.  Or what we’ve done within our mastermind groups like Lee Milteer’s Peak Performers/Implementation Coaching Group, or our Platinum and Titanium groups.

Members helping members, encouraging, networking, entering joint ventures and creating another productive community within GKIC.

It’s also been my experience over 30 years that women do have a different mindset about business than men.

After working with both women-owned and men-owned businesses, some of the broad observations I’ve made between men and women are as follows.  You will find some of these observations truer than others because everyone is unique. And you may find that you don’t want to hear some of them.

I’ve noticed that men tend to be more short-term, immediate outcome, and any-means-to-an-end thinkers, while women entrepreneurs are interested in a more complex collection of issues.

Both are double-sided coins. For instance, men tend to be less concerned than they should be with how customers or clients feel after a sale is made, and with sustaining relationships over time. Women tend to be overly concerned with how customers feel, which can foster timidity and inhibition.

Overall, I think men are less wealth-inhibited, but women are smarter about money, or at least inherently capable of being smarter about money – and there is factual evidence to support the latter conclusion, from long-term studies of male and female investors.

Women, statistically, are paid less than men inside hierarchies, but also tend to price lower than men, charge lower fees than men, and avoid negotiation and confrontation more than men – although that has not always been my experience—Joan Rivers, comes to mind.

I don’t see anything wrong with airing these matters, facts from research about them, opinions that may or may not be accurate, considering and discussing the differences.

Ultimately, I don’t believe there’s anything I would advise or say to a man in business I wouldn’t to a woman in that same or similar business, but there is advice I would give the woman that I wouldn’t give the man.

There is different conditioning, and there is bias. To deny either is, I think, delusional. To deny it in the interest of political correctness or to avoid risking offending women is, I think, counter-productive.

Exploring reality like this isn’t for everyone. But it can be useful to entrepreneurs who are will to open up to find out what may be holding YOU back…What is getting in YOUR way, what conditioning or belief is getting in YOUR way, what conditioning or belief systems or barriers do YOU have, what business, marketing or selling strategies might best fit YOU?

I invite you to be relentless in your pursuit to seek out reality in your own business and life…and be willing to develop the habits of being brutally honest with yourself and insisting that others you rely on give it to you straight.

NOTE: I’ll be presenting at the GKIC’s Women Entrepreneur’s Next Level Summit on February 8-10 along with some brilliant and savvy entrepreneurs and marketers. I’ll talk about some of the ways that women get in their own way. Some of these are universal, shared by men. But men also have certain self-sabotage attitudes and behaviors that are uniquely theirs. Women have a Dolce & Gabbana bag full that are uniquely theirs too. There are some strategies and tactics worth borrowing from men. There are some very male ideas that should be avoided as if explosive toxic waste.

I think you’ll find my thoughts about this provocative and it may just liberate you from a lot of limiting B.S., and empower you to achieve faster and with less struggle than you ever imagined. I hope I’ll see you there. [www.gkicwomen.com]

Four ways to add quick profits to your business…

By: Darcy Juarez on: December 28th, 2012 2 Comments

“Publish or perish.”

That’s what Dan Kennedy and Matt Zagula say in their new book, No B.S. Trust-based Marketing.

Dan continues, “Even if you are a proprietor of a local hardware store, landscape company, home remodeling company, etc., …you need to write and publish your own book as well as other information media such as newsletters, special reports, how-to-guides, and more. Anyone who seeks trusted authority and advisor status will publish, or perish.”

In an age of diminishing trust, establishing credibility and authority are increasingly becoming key factors to success. And there’s no doubt that published authors are considered trusted authorities.

In chapter 7, Dan starts out by saying that Matt Zagula points out that “author is in the word authority.”

But before you start thinking you need to run out and write a book, I’ll let you in on a little secret: That is not what I, nor Dan are suggesting here.

There are many things you can publish. In fact, information products don’t even have to be written. You can create video and audio information products too. Or create an audio program and have it transcribed to create a book or report.

Here’s a sample of some of the info-products you might want to consider for your business:

  • Newsletters
  • E-books
  • Special Reports
  • How-to Guides
  • Lists of resources
  • Insider reports
  • Expert interviews

Information products establish trust and credibility—making it easier to sell your core products and services at premium prices.

In addition, here are four additional reasons why you should consider adding information products to your business:

  1. High profit margins.  Consider that people value information differently than they do physical products. For example, the cost of an iPhone is worth a set amount. But an information product that promises to double your income in 90 days is worth a subjective amount to each person considering purchasing it. Combine this with the fact that you can create information products at a very low cost (especially if you create digital products that consumers download) and you have an extremely high profit margin.
  2. Create enduring information products once, get paid on them forever.  When you create evergreen information products they retain their selling power year and year. That means you do the work once and make money year after year.
  3. Easy and low cost distribution. You can create an e-book or a video series or special report with very low costs. You can use video, audio, and PDF files to create low-cost information products and with inexpensive distribution channels such as email, you can distribute your products instantly, automatically, easily and inexpensively.
  4. Eliminate commoditization. In a world where commoditization is a problem, you can set yourself and your business apart by leveraging your knowledge to create information products. Plus while there may be products similar to yours, there is virtually no competition for your product because no one knows exactly what you know, nor will they present it in exactly the same way you do. That means your info-product will be unique and won’t exist in any other place. You can also use your info-product to set your business apart even further by incorporating your unique selling proposition throughout your product. For example, if your unique proposition is that you are the only health club that includes a custom diet for your customers, you might want to talk about the benefits and importance of combining proper diet with exercise throughout your info-product.

Increase your credibility and authority this year by creating an information product. You’ll find it a low-cost way to increase your income  and set yourself apart from your competition.

NOTE: As you know GKIC is an Info-marketing business created and launched by Dan Kennedy. For the first time, Dan is going to reveal the single most important and powerful concept on which he based his entire business, that made possible what you know of today as GKIC, an inspiration that has “launched a thousand ships.”

Dan has NEVER taught this concept as he’ll describe it during his A-Z Info-Biz Blueprints Reboot. He will also reveal the checklists behind his approach to info-marketing and their sources, and the very-short-list of authors that he’s most closely emulated.

If you are sensibly curious about the “SOURCE(S)” of the power Dan’s demonstrated during his successful career as a professional info-marketer, builder of brand and empire, and builder of others’ info-businesses as well, then you will walk barefoot across a 500-mile fire walk if need be, to be at this event. To Learn More About This Event Click Here

Want An Army Of “Elves” To Promote Your Products?

By: Darcy Juarez on: December 25th, 2012 No Comments

“How does Santa get all those toys made and delivered?”

It’s a question kids have wondered throughout the years.

And with today being Christmas, as kids open their stockings and gifts, it’s a question that will be asked millions of times around the world.

Movies throughout the years have shown their explanation of how it’s done.

In the 2011 movie, Arthur Christmas, Santa’s oldest son Steve runs the command center for Santa, while a younger son, Arthur reads the letters to Santa and makes sure the children’s “orders” are filled. Armies of elves load up the sleigh with presents requested from kids around the world and a team of elves help Santa in an ultra-high tech sleigh, the S-1.

Sort of like being one of the elves, if you don’t want to come up with your own info-product to sell, or aren’t sure what to sell, becoming an affiliate for someone else’s products gives you the opportunity to participate and earn money without having the responsibility of running the operation.

You can find products that complement the products and services you already sell without having to incur the costs or hassle of distribution.

Or you can build your own command center and build an army of affiliates eager to sell your product for you—creating a significant increase to your income.

Here are seven additional reasons to consider adding an affiliate program to your business in 2013:

  1. You eliminate costs associated with selling your own product such as production costs,, order processing, shipping and distribution. Plus there are no licensing fees.
  2. You don’t have to carry inventory.
  3. You don’t have to hire any additional employees.
  4. You can choose from thousands of products and services.
  5. You don’t have to have any experience.
  6. You don’t have to deal with customer complaints.
  7. Often your affiliate provides you with the necessary marketing materials saving you time and money.

On the flip side, if you round up your own army of affiliates to promote your products or services:

  1. You can make money while you sleep. Having affiliates sell your products means you have a team of people selling your product at all hours of the day. Super Affiliate Secrets (now available at 50% off through this series) reveals that the secret to selling millions is to lure the best affiliates and build relationships with them.
  2. You can build an army of affiliates to help sell your products or services—without having to pay anything unless they bring someone to you.
  3. Building an army of affiliates can help you build your list faster.
  4. Affiliate armies can generate massive traffic to your site.
  5. You can create a mass affect and generate huge amounts of cash during launches.

There are two money-making sides to affiliate marketing. Whether you cash in on one side or both, affiliate marketing is one of the easiest ways to rake in six to seven figures per year. In fact, the amount you can earn is only limited by your desire, effort and imagination.

NOTE: If you’re interested in meeting super-affiliates to promote your products and services or want to get the exact, nitty-gritty details of how Dan Kennedy’s built his army of affiliates and cashed in being an affiliate for others, then plan to attend The A-Z Info-Biz Blueprints Re-Boot in April. Dan guarantees this will be information worth a million dollars to you—in fact he’s offering a double your money back guarantee plus documented airfare up to $1000, if you don’t agree.

Not only will you learn everything you need to know and walk away with a blueprint to build your own profitable info-marketing business in whatever area you desire, it’s a great place to start relationships with super-affiliates that you may otherwise  not have the chance to meet. [Learn more]

How To Sell Better, Even If You Aren’t A Skilled Copywriter

By: Dan Kennedy on: December 11th, 2012

A recent encounter at Info-Summit reminded me of a powerful technique you can use to multiply your income…

You can use this whether you are experienced or not, have skill or not, or know very little or a lot about your industry. In fact, even if you consider yourself an amateur copywriter, you can use this to out-perform an experienced pro.

It’s a rare secret advantage far too few businesses use. It’s revealed in a story about a young baseball player…

The year was 1907.

Frank Bettger was fired from Johnstown Pennsylvania, Triple State baseball team.

Shocked, he went to his manager and asked him

Frank Bettger was fired from Johnstown Pennsylvania, Triple State baseball team.

Shocked, he went to his manager and asked him why.

His manager told him that he was lazy and told him he dragged himself around the field. Believing himself ambitious and wanting to get to the top, that was the last thing Bettger expected to hear.

His manager’s parting words, “Wake yourself up, and put some life and enthusiasm into your work!”

Bettger reported to his new team in Chester, Pennsylvania where he took a pay cut from $175 per month to just $25 a month.

Bettger says, “Well, I couldn’t feel very enthusiastic on that kind of money, but I began to act enthusiastic.”

His new enthusiasm gained him a trial at a team in New Haven, Connecticut. Inspired, he made up his mind to establish himself as “the most enthusiastic ball player they’d ever seen.”

It paid off. In just ten days he raised his salary 700%, from $25 per month to $185 per month..

Within two years he was playing third base for the St. Louis Cardinals, multiplying his income thirty times.  Bettger says, “I got this stupendous increase in salary not because I couldn’t throw a ball better—or catch or hit better, not because I had any more ability as a ball player…Enthusiasm alone did it.”

Later, after a bad accident forced Bettger to give up baseball entirely, he returned home and began selling insurance.

After ten months of miserably failing as an insurance salesman, Bettger believed he was no good at selling and would never succeed.

Remember the lesson he’d learned from his manager in baseball, Bettger decided he would put enthusiasm into selling insurance. He soon discovered that he could make up for a lack of experience, a lack of skill, and a lack of know-how in selling with sufficient enthusiasm—but that no amount of skill and know-how can make up for the absence of enthusiasm. Using enthusiasm he turned his life and income around, becoming one of the highest paid salesmen in America.  Frank Bettger reveals that “enthusiasm makes a difference” in his book,  How I Raised Myself From Failure To Success in Selling and observes:

“Enthusiasm is by far the highest paid quality on earth, probably because it is one of the rarest; yet it is one of the most contagious.”

Enthusiasm is just as important in print as in face to face selling.  Infusing your sales letter or advertisement with sincere yet intense enthusiasm is one of the ways an “amateur” copywriter can beat the efforts of an experienced pro.

This is why you can’t just sit down and write your ads, sales letters, and brochures “on command” like you can sit down and do bookkeeping. You have to work up some enthusiasm for the task as well as for the proposition you’ll be putting across.

Imagine your own reaction when you are in a store with someone obviously eager to help you, who looks you in the eye and shows genuine excitement that you are there. Versus someone who acts like you’re interrupting what they are doing or as if they don’t care whether you buy something or not. Written copy can have the same effect.

If I’m going to write first thing in the morning, as I often do, I try to set my subconscious mind working on that particular project while I sleep. Sometimes I wake up with the “big idea” I need. Other times, I wake up with ideas and a readiness to write.

I don’t think you should force yourself to “grind out” direct-response copy when you don’t really feel like it; the result will be flat and mechanically assembled; it may be technically correct in that it has a headline, subheads, bullet points, an offer, a P.S., etc., but it will lack spirit.

However, forcing yourself to be enthusiastic works. Bettger said that when he forced himself to act enthusiastic, he soon found himself enthusiastic.

The person who is genuinely enthusiastic about what he is selling definitely has an advantage. If you feel you could use a boost in enthusiasm, try recording the sales pitch from your most enthusiastic salesperson, and transfer it to paper.

Never underestimate the power of enthusiasm and the advantage it can give you. Over the years, the clients I’ve done the best work for and have been the most successful with have been passionate and enthusiastic about what they sell.

NOTE: If you plan to hire a copywriter to give you an advantage, be sure to read GKIC’s free report, “The 7 Key Questions Every Copywriter You Hire MUST Be Able to Answer To Write Killer Direct Response Copy and Create Marketing Campaigns That Will Outsell The Pants Off Your Competition!” Get your FREE copy here

Three Ways To Offset The Fiscal Cliff

By: Darcy Juarez on: December 6th, 2012 2 Comments

With the end of the year looming, U.S. government officials don’t appear to be any closer to a resolution for the pending “fiscal cliff.”

Falling off the cliff would most likely mean a recession according to some economists.

What happens then? A more dramatic version and acceleration of what’s already happening: the middle shrinks.

People still buy necessities, but the middle freezes up, afraid to spend discretionary money.

Even on necessities, Dan Kennedy says, speaking from experience…

“The profit margin goes away, as merchants at the bottom battle over consumers’ shrunken spending power with price cutting as the only weapon…big companies even sell products below cost just to keep factories, stores, and offices open, thus crushing small businesses.”

The good news is there is a way to offset pending gloom and doom. However, you’ll want to start preparing for it now.

Today we’ll take a look at a few suggestions from Dan Kennedy and GKIC members who no longer worry about things like this—having learned how to create what Zig Ziglar called your own “personal economy.” (You can read Zig’s description here: Zig Ziglar: One Of The Best Gifts You Could Ever Receive)

It’s something you can do too.

Here are the top three ideas for preparing your business so you can offset the fiscal cliff.

Niche your business. GKIC member and co-owner of Cater Galante Orthodontic Specialists Dr. Donna Galante says between 1997 and 2007 her business was growing gangbusters. In fact it was growing 25% a year minimum and at times doubling. Then in 2007 her business tanked. She says, “The phones stopped ringing and in 12 months’ time we had lost 30% of our revenue and production.” In one of the hardest hit industries in the country, orthodontics, which is considered an elective, was down 47% nationwide.

She says, I kept thinking about what Dan was always saying about how “there are riches in niches.” So Dr. Galante decided to specialize in the niche area of Invisalign, a proprietary orthodontic treatment which uses a series of clear, removable teeth aligners as an alternative to traditional braces.

Things turned around very quickly for them as her practice became one of the top 1% producers of Invisalign nationwide in 18 months’ time.

Recession-proof your business. Look no further than Dan Kennedy to know how to recession proof your business. In his book, No B.S. Marketing to the Affluent, Dan says “Those in the middle are the most affected by recession. They tend to be living at their means or above their means, yet spending only about 60% on necessities. In recession, they stop spending the other 40%. They just cramp up. So merchants selling to them don’t see a 5% or 10% drop; they get whacked with a 40% drop. Even price cutting doesn’t help much.”

His advice? “Trade up.” The richest 20% of the population account for more than 60% of spending in our economy. It’s just as easy to sell to the affluent masses who are least affected by tough times.

To get started, set yourself up to attract the affluent and their money. First transform your business to appeal to and attract the affluent. In other words, find out where the money is and then go get it. To market to the affluent, study who your affluent customers are, where they are, what they buy, why they buy, and the best ways to get into sync with them.

Learn how to “speak to sell.”  GKIC member and co-owner of Bradley Communication Corp., Bill Harrison gives this advice”: “Learn how to speak to sell.” He says, “In 2002, we almost went out of business because of the post 911 recession. We were really hurting and my brother went to a conference he had spoken to before and had never come home with more than $800. That year he came home with $67,000 because of what we learned from Dan about platform selling.

GKIC member and owner and chief instructor of Unified Martial Art Academy, Dwight Woods  says his business would have folded had he not learned how to persuade people about the benefits of his products and services.  He says, “I always taught for the love of the art form and thought that selling was evil. I’ve realized that you are no longer a hobbyist once you are in business, so you better learn how to sell.

In a recession, when you get someone on the hook, it’s essential to be able to move them to asking you what they should buy as quickly as possible. Whether you are speaking to one or to many, selling in person or through the mail or online, you must find your voice and learn how to speak to sell.

One way to make this easier is to eliminate your competition before you get into a selling situation.  In Dan’s sales system, detailed in Sales & Persuasion Strategies, he stresses the importance of eliminating the competition by making you, your product or service a foregone solution—this way you are dealing with clients, customers or patients who are pre-determined to buy from you and you alone. This not only makes the sales process go faster, but you no longer have to compete on price.

Don’t wait to see what happens. Get prepared now.

So what are you doing to prepare your business? Share your ideas in the comment section below.

NOTE: If you want to get on the “fast track” to creating your own personal economy and join the economic elite and discover the proven path for thriving, prospering and creating fortunes during these uncertain economic times, you can now. Discover the untold wealth attitudes, behaviors and strategies that’ll allow you to EXPLODE your income…and make you immune to a recession and countless other roadblocks that could sabotage your success!  Get Wealth Breakthroughs Now for 30% OFF!