Whose Goals Are You Working Toward?
April 10, 2007
It’s rather funny. I’ve had the opportunity to speak with people from all walks of life (being both a minister and a successful Internet business coach). I’ve been with very wealthy people and those that don’t have anything but the clothes on their back.
The sad issue is that the majority of wealthy people aren’t much happier than those without money. They have more “stuff.” No question about that.
Too often this stuff is purchased to keep up with the neighbors or project a specific image. I’ve seen wealthy entrepreneurs purchase mansions…and it felt more like a museum than a home. They built it to impress others…yet it didn’t come from the desires of their own heart.
I’ve seen entrepreneurs build businesses they hate…all because they were proving they could be a success to some imagined ghost from their past. Sure they had money, but what good is it if they don’t have time to enjoy it?
And this goes for the workaholics too. You might love your job and want to work constantly. One day there will be a payment for that. Stress is a killer…and you won’t be able to stay ahead of it forever with a seven day schedule.
Let’s talk about another subject. Some people will tell you how wonderful high class restaurants are. I’m sorry. They’re just not me.
I’ve visited too many fancy restaurants while speaking at meetings, and I don’t remember ever liking a single one of them. I just haven’t liked the usual snooty waitors and rarely the food. Yet, I’ve suffered through these restaurants politely many times with other speakers who seem to enjoy them.
This is even more true about my wife. When we last went to Vail, Colorado, I remember it took 4 days to finally convince her to go with me to a Swiss restaurant there I wanted to try. Afterwards, she told me she would have preferred McDonalds.
My favorite places to eat currently are a little Mexican restaurant not too far away, and a Greek restaurant in the next city over. The Mexican place always come out to less than $10 and the Greek restaurant a little more…for both of us. It’s not the price that makes me go to those places. I enjoy the food way more than I ever have at any $100 restaurant.
Yet, some people look at you like you’re “not allowed” to enjoy this because it’s not high priced enough.
Does my wife have a lot of expensive jewelry? Nope. She has some. It’s just that she is a whole lot more passionate about a new backpacking item. She spends hundreds on the newest backpacking gear instead. While I personally like hiking, I don’t like the sleeping outside part. I have no desire to pretend I’m homeless. That’s not me.
The question is what do you want?
Don’t create a lifestyle others want…or think you should have.
Part of being successful is making goals and imagining where you want to be 1 year from now, 3 years from now, and even 10 years from now.
Don’t just say you want a large home. Describe it. What rooms does it have? What will it look like? Where will it be…in town, in the mountains, by a lake?
Where would you like to vacation? Don’t tell me what other people want. Where is your dream vacation? Is it a sandy beach in a foreign country…taking a safari in Africa…flying a fighter jet at an aviation school…or hiding out in the mountains for two weeks?
Plan your life. Decide what you want. Then figure out how much you need to earn yearly to reach that lifestyle (remembering to include taxes, retirement, savings, family, etc.). Now work back to today and plan your actions to reach those goals.
The key principle in all of this is to plan the life YOU and your spouse want…not what anybody else says or thinks for you. It’s hard to reach other people’s goals…and you won’t like the life you create for them either!
If you're a new visitor here, you can subscribe to receive notices whenever a new post is made. Plus receive My Free Report:
"10 Key Strategies for Any Business Owner to Earn
More, Work Less, and Enjoy Life!"
Always Back Up Your Hard Drive
April 9, 2007
I had a horrible experience today…my hard drive crashed on my main laptop computer. The worst part of the news is that it’s been a while since I made a backup of it. Oh the agony!
So off it goes for repairs…and hopefully some of the information can be restored. What have I lost? Well, luckily I save all my books, reports, etc. to several computers so most of that information is fine. The most recent sales letters rough drafts were saved to my website to show someone else, so at most I only lost a couple of day’s updates to those letters.
The biggest loss would be to my email files…so hopefully those can be restored.
How’s this a lesson? It’s another simple reminder that Murphy’s Law works constantly in business. Always back up everything regularly. I’m talking to myself as much as everyone else. Backup everything!
Copy your hard drive. Make CDs of anything you’re working hard on (or upload them to your website which puts it in a whole different location in case of a real disaster).
How long has it been since you did your last computer backup? How long has it been since you did your last blog back-up?
One of the first things I did this morning was do a back-up of my blog. It’s real easy to do in Wordpress. Go to “Manage” and then “Backup.” Create a back-up to download to your computer. I don’t know how it is done in other software types, but I’m sure it’s not too difficult.
When running big email promotions I have used two merchants accounts and Paypal…so a switch could be made if I went over the limit on one or there were any issues. Guess how I learned that. Yes, that’s right. I had a promotion where there was a merchant account issue and the order form didn’t work for a while. I wonder just how much that cost me…
And the Winner Of Jay Abraham’s Audios is…
April 6, 2007
The winner of the Jay Abraham audios from the trackback drawing from last week is Tom Nimz of http://www.wisdomprofits.com.
Tom, please send an email to webmaster on this domain terrydean.org to make sure I have your correct address to send the audios to.
I also have two comments to make about this contest.
#1 - Everybody who took action is a winner. I noticed many people put up brand new blogs. That is an action. Don’t quit now just because you didn’t win the grand prize. Build on it. You posted once. Keep posting. You learned to do something you hadn’t done before. A regular blog is a great way to build your traffic and your community.
We all win. Of course I wanted incoming trackback links. That’s what I got out of it. Everyone else got another chance to take action…and many people learned how to set-up a blog for the first time. And you also learned a key to blogging…linking to other bloggers. Everyone who placed a link I noticed in my blogging software…so you got at least one visitor (me).
Think about how you could use that to reach someone you might not normally get to contact…I’ll be keeping my eye on a few of the blogs I noticed here.
#2 - I was rather surprised by the number of people who emailed me and/or posted a comment to the contest about how deperately they needed the audios. They talked about how they were on social security or whatever other problem they had. I’m sorry. I’m sure all of you needed the audios. They would have helped you. I deleted these comments because I didn’t want them on that page where I was looking for all the trackbacks.
Here’s the question I have. Why would anyone think I would believe for one second someone would even listen to 35 hours…not to mention actually do anything with them…if they couldn’t at least set-up a blog that takes maybe 10 minutes at Blogger.com? I may live out in the country, but I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday.
Can’t spend 10 minutes to set-up a blog, but think I’ll believe you’ll spend 35 hours in study? No. Not going to happen.
Debt Free Living
April 5, 2007
During some of my reading today, I ended up at Wayne Hurlbert’s blog posting, “Building a Debt Free Company…”
I deal with a lot of small business entrepreurs and Internet based business owners (notice I called them Internet based again instead of that limiting “Internet business” term). And many of them see debt as a normal way of living and doing business.
I don’t. I see it as a horrible way of life.
Before I started my business online, I was in debt up to my ears. I had creditors calling almost every day. Discover called saying I could borrow from my VISA card to pay them. VISA called telling me to borrow from another card to pay them.
I called a credit counseling agency. They looked at all credit card debts and my income. And they told me they couldn’t help. There was nothing they could do and I would never get out of debt without going bankrupt.
Eventually I quit picking up the phone entirely. I couldn’t take the stress of dealing with the debt collectors (later on when I coached for company that helps improve credit scores I got to find out about all the illegal things the debt collectors were doing).
Once I started my online business, it didn’t take long to succeed and produce a good income (a good income to a former pizza delivery driver doesn’t take too long). It took close to two years to completely pay off all my debts (over $50,000 in debts).
Once I got out of debt…I made the committment to never go through that slavery again. Yes, that’s right. You’re not living for yourself or your family if you’re in debt…you’re living to pay the bill collectors. That’s not your stuff. It’s theirs.
I did borrow for my house, but my income was high enough at that point where I paid off the house in one year (quit buying anything else until it was paid).
I’ve had all kinds of “experts” tell me what a mistake that is of course. They say, “You should have a mortgage because of tax benefits…credit history…more investment money.”
The reason doesn’t matter. Remember this. Debt is slavery.
Proverbs 22:7 in the New American Standard edition says, “The rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.”
You feel different when you’re totally out of debt. You feel freedom. If you’re never been as far down in the dumps as I have, you might not understand just why I value the freedom from debt so much. Also, if you’re never been totally out of debt, I doubt you understand the feeling of freedom you get from that either.
You are free. If you hate working with a client, you fire them. You don’t feel the pressure of debts and bills making you take actions you don’t want to. And you don’t tolerate nearly as much garbage going on around you anymore.
So don’t come telling me why I should take on debt for any reason. The whole mindset is a joke. I do own a credit card both personally and for my business. It does make things easier. I completely pay off those credit cards through their online systems about every two weeks. It’s funny when you see how often they raise my credit lines.
Don’t tell me I need to borrow money to get my credit up. I don’t. I know my most recent FICO score and you’d be hard pressed to come anywhere close. It was 822 on one of the credit reporting agencies (not sure on the others - this one is just so easy to see through one of my credit cards).
I loved being able to pay for a car with cash. Last time I was at a dealership I laughed at them when they wanted to run my credit just to make sure I could get a loan. It’s sad though it’s such a fight for price, because they know they’re not getting extra income from financing.
I talk quite a bit about living debt free in my Christian Financial Freedom book. It’s a Step-by-Step Guide for Walking in God’s Blessings including my whole story (including how some of that debt came from giving), and the spiritual aspects that helped lead me to success online (my Internet Integrity book covers the practical online aspects). You can pick up Financial Freedom at Amazon.com here…
5 Reasons to Write a Book Today
April 3, 2007
You should write a book. It just may not be for the reasons you think.
The quickest way to get started in the information business is by doing an audio interview. Do a quick outline or put together a few questions. Find an expert. Record an hour interview. You now have a product. No more than 2 hours were invested in the process…and a minimum amount of money (a simple phone recording device can get you started).
A book takes at least a week to write, and you have to pay for a well designed cover to sell it. Yet, I still recommend a portion of my clients create a book. Why?
It’s simple really. Becoming an author provides you with immediate benefits that are hard to compete with in any other way.
1. Improve Credibility for Consultants and Coaches
If you’re currently doing any consulting or coaching, having your own book separates you from the competition. Would you rather hire the consultant who studied all these books…or the author of the books they studied?
Instead of simply giving someone your business card or a brochure, you can hand them your book. You’re the expert. While most people won’t “read” your book, it now goes on their shelf with other books they’ve purchased. It makes them feel better just having it.
2. Increase Fees
Want to increase your fees? Publish a book. This one goes right along with number one. You’ve improved your credibility, so you can now raise your rates. This includes consulting, coaching, and speaking fees. You’re a busy author (doing publicity campaigns and more). Your time is valuable.
You’ll also run into less price resistance as an author. It seems miraculous, but your perceived value in the eyes of your clients has now went up. You’re an author…and your “expert” fees seem more reasonable now.
3. Generate Publicity
Send out review copies. Do radio talk shows. The media is starved for good interviews. You now have something to talk about in your new book (I recommend creating your book with publicity in mind from the beginning).
Not very many people will listen to an interview and hire you to consult with them. They will buy your low cost book and be added to your customer list. Then you can follow up on them with all your higher profit items on the backend.
4. Backend Sales
A book is a perfect entry point in your product funnel. Let’s say you sell DVDs, home study courses, and even do workshops. Your higher price point items might require an endorsement from a trusted source or someone to speak to them on the phone. The book simply has be offered as a solution to a problem they’re having. It’s an easy sale.
You can then have upsells and other offers throughout the book. Don’t turn the entire book into a sales letter. DO offer items that solve their problems. The book can be a doorway into your other product offers.
5. Deepen Your Knowledge Base
Even if you never sold a copy, a book can still be profitable to you. It requires you sit down and organize your thoughts. You have to outline. You have to study your subject more in depth. You’ll have a broader base of knowledge and skill when you’re finished with your book.
To put it simply…writing a book will help you grow. It will stretch you. You’ll come out of it with greater knowledge, experience, and value to give to others.
Find Out More
If you’d like to know more about creating your own book and information publishing business, go to:
http://www.publishingseminar.com.
I’m teaming up with 3 other business building experts to help you grow your income as an author or publisher. Fred Gleeck will show you how to build your information funnel, hold your own seminars, and increase your speaking income. John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, will cover how to generate the most retail sales of your books. Bob Bly will cover book ideas and the advantages of traditional publishing versus self-publishing.
It all happens on May 29th and 30th. Reserve your seat today…
http://www.publishingseminar.com
Who Is Your Mentor?
April 2, 2007
Who is your mentor? Who is helping you achieve the success you want from your business and life?
The worst way to start or run any business is as a lone ranger. It’s a prescription for failure.
Find out who has accomplished the goals you want to reach. Find out who has done it before you. Get ahold of their roadmap. Follow their plan.
Some people don’t want to pay to learn…or work with a mentor. Big mistake. They’ll say, “Experience is the best teacher.” Of course it is. It’s also the most expensive.
You can save thousands of dollars in mistakes from a $20 book. You can move yourself years forward in you business through the right training course. You can reach a level of success you’ve never expected from a coaching program.
Let me ask you two simple questions. How much have you spent on all your TVs, cable, satellite, and movies? How much have you spent on your library? If your TV bill adds up to more, you’re in serious trouble in the long-term.
When I first came online, there weren’t any “Internet gurus.” I wanted to learn this business. So I went out and bought materials from the top direct marketing experts offline….including Jay Abraham, Dan Kennedy, Ted Nicholas, and others.
Jay Abraham’s materials clicked the best with me…and I’ve put together quite a collection including his Ultimate Protege Mentor Program, Your Marketing Genius At Work, Mr. X Book, How to Get From Where You Are to Where you Want to Be, Stealth Marketing, and his Consulting Scripts. And I know I’m forgetting other materials of his I have around here.
In fact, I engrossed myself in his materials so extensively in the beginning that my clients told me they saw his influence in the first couple of products I created. Of course, my products have always been from my unique slant and personality. It was just noticeable where my first foundation in marketing came from.
I never joined a “mentor” program and never spoke to him personally. Yet, I still considered him one of my mentors for the first few years because I was rabidly consuming everything he put out.
Recently I decided to give all 35 CDs and audio tapes from his 2002 Mastermind Marketing Program as a free giveaway on April 6th to one person who makes a linkback to my posting. This blog received 2,116 visitors on Friday (a very high day). How many of them entered the contest by making a linkback? I only count 13 over the whole weekend.
Not a lot of people took action…and all it required from a blog posting with a link there. Interesting…
If you want to be entered for a chance to win, see the post here…
If you’re interested in finding out how to join my own mentoring and coaching program, click here…
Featured Video
Internet Lifestyle Retirement System FREE Video
Available Products
One-On-One Coaching
Internet Lifestyle System
Montly Mentor Club
Ultimate Interview Product Solution
Email Marketing Mastery