12 Biggest Mistakes Salespeople Make in Their Presentations

I came accross this report from one of our outstanding University of Freedom "Faculty" members and thought you would enjoy it!

A former President of the National Speakers' Association, Ms. Fripp is both a phenomenal and entertaining speaker, as well as one of the top communication trainers in the country. While this article is specifically related to sales presentations, at the University of Freedom Ms. Fripp will be teaching us how to become infinitely more effective in the "sales" presentations that we encounter in our everyday lives... from a professional sales call, to speaking at a PTA meeting and even interviewing with a College entrance advisor.

Patricia Fripp is just one of the powerful speakers/trainers you'll be meeting and learning from at the University of Freedom!

We're counting down the days till Atlanta!

All The Best,
Thom
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12 Biggest Mistakes Salespeople Make in Their Presentations
By Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

Salespeople are incredible. Like Hollywood
actors, whenever they open their mouths, they are
putting themselves and their company on the line,
taking a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome.
Just like actors, even the best, most experienced
salesperson can use some coaching and polishing
now and then.

Here are the 12 most common mistakes that my
sales clients are making at the beginning of our
coaching sessions. By the time we’re through,
they’ve learned how to avoid them.

1 - UNCLEAR THINKING. If you can’t describe the
objective of your interaction in one sentence,
you may be guilty of fuzzy focus, trying to say
too much at once. You’ll confuse your listener, and
that doesn’t make the sale. Decide exactly what you
want and need to accomplish in this contact. What
would be a positive outcome? For example, imagine
that a busy executive says, “You have exactly ten
minutes of my time to tell me what you want me to
know about your company. In one sentence, tell me
how should I describe your benefits when I talk to
my managers tomorrow.” At any stage of the sales
process, you should know in advance why you are
interacting, what benefits you are offering your
prospect or client, and what you’d like the next step
to be.

2 - NO CLEAR STRUCTURE. Make it easy for
your prospect to follow what you are saying,
whether in a casual conversation or a formal
presentation of information and ideas. They’ll
remember it better—and you will too. Otherwise,
you may forget to make a key point. If you waffle or
ramble, you lose your listeners. Even for a
conversation, mentally outline your objectives. What
key “Points of Wisdom” do you want the prospect to
remember? How will you illustrate each point? What
colorful examples will your prospect be able to
repeat three days later? What phrases or slogans do
you want to guarantee they will repeat afterwards?

3 - TALKING TOO MUCH. Salespeople often talk
too much about themselves and their service
or product. They make a speech rather than
having an exchange or interaction, otherwise known
as conversation. The key to connecting with a client
is conversation; the secret of client conversation is
to ask questions; the quality of client information
received depends on the quality of the questions—
and waiting for, and listening to, the ANSWERS! In
fact, a successful encounter early in the sales
process should probably be mostly open-ended
questions, the kind that require essay answers rather
than just “yes” and “no.” And don’t rush on with
preprogrammed questions that pay no attention to
the answer you’ve just received. Learn to listen, even
pausing to wait for further comments. Silence draws
people out.

4 - NO MEMORABLE STORIES. People rarely
remember your exact words. Instead, they
remember the mental images your words
inspire. Support your key points with vivid, relevant
stories. Help them “make the movie” in their minds
by using memorable characters, exciting situations,
intriguing dialogue, suspense, and humor.

5 - NO THIRD-PERSON ENDORSEMENTS.
There’s a limit to how many bold claims you
can make about your company and product
results, but there is NO limit to the words of praise
you can put in the mouths of your delighted clients.
Use case histories of your clients’ success stories
about the benefits they received from your service
or product. When you are using their actual
dialogue, you can say much more glowing things
about yourself and your company than you could if
the words were your own. Your endorsement stories
should use the same ingredients as a good
Hollywood movie: create memorable characters, use
vivid dialogue, and provide a dramatic lesson
learned.

The dramatic lesson learned in YOUR Hollywood
story will be the benefits of doing business with
you. Choose characters that your prospects can
connect with. It helps if the star of your story holds
a similar position to your prospect. You can’t say,
“Do business with me, and you’ll get promoted,”
but you can give a specific example of someone who
phoned, e-mailed, or wrote you that this happened
to them. “Just last week,” you might say, “I heard
from Mary Smith. She’s the Payroll Manager at
Amalgamated Systems. She said that changing their
payroll system to our company not only made them
more efficient, but they cut their costs 10%. She
told me, ‘You made me look good in the eyes of
management. Thanks to you, I received a
promotion!’” That’s an emotional connection.

6 - NO EMOTIONAL CONNECTION. The most
powerful communication combines both
intellectual and emotional connections.
Intellectual means appealing to educated selfinterest
with data and reasoned arguments.
Emotion comes from engaging the listeners’
imaginations, involving them in your illustrative
stories by frequent use of the word “you” and from
answering their unspoken question, “What’s in this
for me?” Obviously, a customer is going to justify
doing business with you for specific, analytical
reasons. What gives you the edge—what I like to
call the “unfair advantage”—is creating an
emotional connection, too. Build this emotional
connection by using stories with characters that
they can relate to and by providing a high I/You
ratio, using the word “you” as often as possible and
talking from their point of view.

My recommendation is that you make telephone
appointments with your happiest clients. Tell them
you would like to use their stories about working
with you as an endorsement, and ask permission to
tape record your conversation. Then just let them
talk. The more they say, encouraged now and then
by a question from you, the better their stories and
quotes will be. Finally, select the best quotes from
what they’ve said.

7 - WRONG LEVEL OF ABSTRACTION. Are you
providing the big picture and generalities
when your listeners are hungry for details,
facts, and specific how-to’s? Or are you drowning
them in data when they need to position themselves
with an overview and find out why they should
care? Get on the same wave length with your
prospects. For first contacts with executives,
describe what your company can do for them in
broad generalities. With middle managers, discuss
exactly how you can work together, a medium level
of abstraction. If you are dealing with IT
professionals, use the lowest level of abstraction,
lots of facts and figures. Don’t discuss aspects or
details of what you’re offering that your audience
has no interest in.

8 - NO PAUSES. Few sales presentations have
enough pauses. Good music and good
communication both contain changes of
pace, pauses, and full rests. This is when listeners
think about important points you’ve just made. If
you rush on at full speed to crowd in as much
information as possible, chances are you’ve left your
prospects back at the station. Give them enough
time to ask a question or even time to think over
what has been said. Pauses allow pondering and
understanding.

9 - IRRITATING NON-WORDS. Hmm—ah—
er—you know what I mean—. One presenter
I heard began each new thought with “Now!”
as he scanned his notes to figure out what came
next. This might be okay occasionally, but not every
30 seconds. Practice in front of your sales manager
or colleagues, giving them permission to call out
whenever you hem or ah. Or video or audiotape
yourself, and note any digressions.

10 - STEPPING ON THE PUNCH-WORD. The
most important word in a sentence is
the punch-word. Usually, this is the
final word: “Take my wife—PLEASE.” But if you
drop your voice or add, “Right?” or “See?” or “You
know?” or “Okay?,” you’ve killed the impact of your
message. Another popular punch-line killer is the
word “today.” Avoid saying, “Let’s look at the
recommendations we have for you today.” Obviously,
you’re talking “today.” The punch word in this
sentence should be “recommendations.”

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld says, “I’ll spend an hour
reducing an eight-word sentence to five words
because the joke will be funnier.” I train sales teams
to do the same thing with their key phrases because
their presentations will be more powerful. We go
through their sentences, looking for the “$10
words.” Not every word or phrase is, or should be, of
equal importance. Emphasize the action words and
phrases or those that make an emotional
connection. “And”-“it”-“in” are no-dollar words.
One sales team came up with what they called
“$100 phrases,” calling out, “Wow, that’s SO good!”
whenever someone used an especially potent phrase.
Often it was a succinct term for a hard-to-describe
benefit. Such a phrase can be priceless. For example,
a company offering a complex process might
explain, “We’re like a security guard that keeps the
bad guys out and lets the good guys in.”

To find $100 phrases for your company, I suggest
this process: Imagine you’re trying to explain what
you do to your 82-year-old great aunt. How you
describe it should be part of your conversational
sales presentation. This is an especially good
technique to use for executive overviews. If your
$100 phrase is “visual enough,” your prospects and
clients will repeat it later.

11 - NOT HAVING A STRONG OPENING AND
CLOSING. Engage your audience
immediately with a powerful, relevant
opening that includes them. For example, “You have
an awesome responsibility.” Then fill in what it is:
increasing sales, reducing errors, cutting overhead,
whatever your product can help your prospect do.
Another excellent strategy is to do some research.
Then you can say, “Congratulations on your
company’s recent success,” and describe it. Or “I
love your new commercials.” Most salespeople start
by talking about their company. Talk about your
prospect instead.

Whenever I give a speech for a company, I check
out their web site, corporate reports, or press
releases to find something their Chairman of the
Board or CEO has said that I can quote. You can do
this too, making it almost sound as if their CEO is recommending your company. For example, “Our core values are—” and match them to your own. Or “We subscribe to Best Practices, and all our preferred vendors do as well.” That’s YOU! To close, pick the one sentence that you absolutely want embedded in their minds, even if you don’t get the appointment or the sale. Leave them with a strong, positive message. They might say, “We’re happy with our present vendor.” You reply, “I appreciate your LOYALTY (a $10 word.) If you ever want a SECOND vendor ($10 word) or for any reason they DISSATISFY ($10 word) you, you need to do business with a company that will be around LONG-TERM ($10 word.) Please remember, we’ve been PROFITABLE ($10 word) for the last 167 quarters ($10 word.)”

In the search for $100 phrases, don’t just add up
$10 words. A $100 phrase stands alone. It is a
repetitive refrain that is so valuable to your company
that every salesperson needs to be trained to use it
in every presentation.

12 - MISUSING TECHNOLOGY. Too many
salespeople rely too much on their
PowerPoint and flip charts and not
enough on making an emotional connection. My
friend, Charles H. Green, coauthor of The Trusted
Advisor, tells about four advertising agencies who
were given an opportunity to bid for a large account.
Each group had two hours.

The last team walked in and said, “We’re ready to
do exactly what the other three competing agencies
have done. We can give you the Dance of a
Thousand Slides, but you have a choice. You can
pretend you already hired us, and for the next two
hours we can start brainstorming on your account.
If you hire us, you’ve received two free hours
consultation, and if you don’t, you’ve still had two
hours free.” They proved they could think on their
feet and be flexible. This won them a very profitable
account. They showed they could use the latest
technology, but, more important, that they didn’t
need it.

“Whenever you’re being considered for a job,”
says Charlie,“act as if you already have it. Most
people want to think that the quality of their work
speaks for itself. It doesn’t. Beat your competition by
getting to work for your prospect immediately.
Demonstrate how it will feel to be working together.”

All four agencies could have done a fine job. The
one that landed the account had enough confidence
in their presentation skills to use technology or not.
The client was exhilarated by their work session,
impressed by the agency’s flexibility, and confident
this agency would, and could, do a great job. Many
sales teams couldn’t communicate with a prospect
for two hours without the help of a suitcase full of
charts, slides, and electronic equipment.

Bottom line: Make technology a support, not a crutch.

When you learn to avoid these 12 common traps,
you’re on your way to being a “star” of the sales
world, ready to accept an award for your dazzling
performance.

I hope you enjoyed my special report. What you
have read is just a small part of the advice I give in
my work with sales teams.

If you believe your sales professionals are
making any of the “Fripp’s 12 Biggest Mistakes” in
their presentations, you may be in the situation
where you qualify to be one of the handful of new
clients I will work with in the next six months.
But I’ve found through experience that there’s
only one way to be sure. And that’s to have a short conversation on the phone.

In our conversation, I would ask you to tell me
about your company and situation, so I can assess
whether this training is appropriate for your
company.

The initial conversation is no charge.
Just like you, my time is limited, but I would
enjoy discovering if my advice can help you
accomplish your sales goals and have the impact it
has for my clients.

To find out about my availability for a no-charge, no-obligation conversation, please call my office toll-free at (800) 634-3035, or send me a short e-mail at pfripp@fripp.com. I, or one of my staff, will give a choice of available times for us to set up our phone meeting.

Thank you...I’m looking forward to speaking with you.

Sincerely,
Pa t r i c i a Fr i p p

Just 28 Days till The Success Mechanics' University of Freedom in Atlanta!!!

This is going to be an incredible event. I always get completely jazzed when I see people who've been trying hard for years to break through to the next level of effectiveness in their lives - finally get there, not because of additional effort, but because they learned a new skill or new way of thinking. I can't even tell you what an honor it is to have a part in helping people change their lives like that. This change has a never-ending effect on their families for generations to come and really helps me fulfill my mission for The Success Mechanics of Creating Legacies of Freedom!

Here's an article by Bob Proctor - one of The Success Mechanics "Faculty." I think you'll really enjoy it!

There is a very real possibility that everything you and I have been taught about how to earn money is so far from the truth that it’s almost comical. Earning money has nothing to do with age, formal education, gender or geography. It has nothing to do with past experience or your formal years of education or your level of intellect. There are individuals who are functionally illiterate who have become multimillionaires, while there are others who are absolutely brilliant and they are broke. Virtually anyone can be taught how to earn millions of dollars and yet the sad truth is that 97 out of every 100 people are born, live their entire lives, and die without ever learning how to earn money. To perpetuate this ridiculous problem, their ignorance is passed along from one generation to the next.

Our school system has been designed as an environment to enlighten young minds, to replace ignorance with understanding and ultimately improve the quality of life. And though our educational system has obviously been successful in many areas, it has woefully neglected one important subject, ''How to Earn Money.'' A lack of understanding in this area is the cause of numerous unwanted and unnecessary problems, since money is the medium of exchange that is used worldwide for other people’s products and services.

There has always been a small, select group, approximately 3% of our population, who clearly understand that prosperity consciousness is the primary cause of wealth and their prosperity consciousness, like ignorance, is also passed down from one generation to the next.

Let’s look at ''money.'' What is it? Money is a reward you receive for the service you render. The more valuable the service, the greater the reward. Thinking of ways we can be of greater service will not only help us earn more money, it will also enable us to grow intellectually and spiritually.

MONEY IS AN IDEA

The paper you fold and place in your purse or pocket is not money. It is paper with ink on it. It represents money, but it is not money. Money is an idea. The earning of money has nothing to do with the paper stuff, it has to do with consciousness.

To accumulate wealth, a person must become very comfortable with the idea of money. That may sound strange, however most people are not comfortable with the idea of money, which is why they do not have any. The cause of poverty is poverty consciousness. A poverty consciousness will cause a person to see, hear, think and feel ... lack and limitation.

The late Mike Todd said, ''Being broke is a temporary situation. Being poor is a mental state.''

He was correct. There are wealthy people who lose every cent they have through a series of mistakes in judgment, but that does not make them poor. They will have it all back in a short time because of their prosperity consciousness.

Many years ago, George Bernard Shaw expressed his thoughts on money. People have such strong views on both of these statements, I purposely use them in my seminars to cause the attendees to think.

1. It is the duty of every person to be rich.
2. It is a sin to be poor.

Before you reject these as being ridiculous, let’s analyze them. To fully understand what Shaw was saying, you must have an open mind. There is a law that states everything is moving, absolutely nothing rests. You are either moving ahead in life or going in reverse ... growing or dying ... creating or disintegrating, becoming richer or poorer.

There is another law to which people often refer in many different ways ... Karmic Law ... Sowing and Reaping ... Cause and Effect ... Action, Re-Action. How you refer to this law is of little importance relative to your understanding of how it works.

The thoughts, feelings, and actions that you express in life are seeds that you sow. The conditions, circumstances and things that come into your life are the harvest you reap as a RESULT of the seeds that you sow. For a moment, store this information in the back of your mind while we investigate the deeper understanding of the words SIN and MONEY.

Sin is ... transgression of the law. Violating the law is a sin and, in truth, the price of sin is death. That does not mean your heart will stop beating, but it does mean you will regress. I previously mentioned there is a law that states you will either create or disintegrate, you will grow or die. When you attempt to ''get'' without giving, you are trying to reap the harvest without sowing the seeds, and it will not work.

Now let’s look at ''money.'' What is it? Money is a reward you receive for the service you render; the more valuable the service, the greater the reward. Attempting to ''get'' money without providing service is also a violation of the law.

Shaw believed you and I are here to serve one another. Thinking of ways we can be of greater service will enable us to grow intellectually and spiritually. It is our duty to serve and money is a reward we receive for that service. If a person has received their money in an unlawful manner - by law, they must pay the price; you reap what you sow.

In light of the laws that govern our universe, what Shaw said is correct. However, if a person is not consciously thinking, Shaw’s statements would appear very callous, even ridiculous. Personally, I believe Shaw made those statements the way he did, to provoke people to think.

Quite simply, what Shaw was emphasizing was the importance of our own responsibility in the quest for abundance. Abundance is something we magnetize ourselves to ... we draw it into our lives ... in every aspect our lives. Business associates, friends, everything we want will come into our life by law, not luck. You are either attracting or repelling good. It is your own consciousness that ultimately determines your results.

''Money is in consciousness and it must be earned.'' If you want to improve your financial position in life, focus your attention on creating a higher level of prosperity consciousness. Begin by preparing a powerful, positive affirmation and fuel it with emotion. When you do this, you are depositing this creative energy in the treasury of your subconscious mind. And, by repeating this process over and over and over again every day, it will begin to alter your conditioning and mentally move you in the direction you want to go. Write it out, read it, feel it, and let it take hold of your mind.

How much money do you want? Saying you want more is not good enough. Five dollars is more. How much more? Decide on a figure. Be specific. You will not seriously want more money than you are capable of earning ... however, you would be wise to remember, you must earn it.

THERE ARE THREE INCOME EARNING STRATEGIES

Trading time for money – By far the worst of the three income earning strategies, it is employed by approximately 96% of our population – doctors, lawyers, accountants, laborers, etc. There is an inherent problem with this strategy – saturation. You run out of time. If a person accumulates any degree of wealth employing this strategy, it will be at the expense of a life. They compromise on the car they drive, the house they live in, the clothes they choose and the vacations they take. They rarely, if ever, get what they want.

Investing money to earn money – This strategy is used by approximately 3% of the population. The number is small for the obvious reason – very few people have any money to invest. Many people who effectively employ this strategy follow the advice of a trusted, knowledgeable advisor.

Leveraging yourself to earn money – This is where you multiply your time through the efforts of others by setting up Multiple Sources of Income (MSIs). This is, without question, the very best way to increase your income. Make a decision to have many sources of income; it’s the strategy that wealthy people have used dating clear back to the ancient Babylonians. Unfortunately, this strategy is only used by approximately 1% of our population, yet that 1% earns approximately 96% of all the money that is earned! You are only a decision away from membership.

Once you determine how much money you want to earn, write it down on a sheet of paper in large figures. Look at the number with the dollar sign beside it and tell yourself over and over again:

THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY IS AN EFFECT. IT REPRESENTS A REWARD THAT I WANT TO RECEIVE. WHAT SERVICE CAN I RENDER THAT WOULD BE DESERVING OF THAT REWARD?

Take the total figure and divide it into multiple parts. Let each part represent a source of income. Each source of income represents a separate reward that you would receive for a service you would render. Work on one source of income at a time; each one can become an exciting part of your life.

• Think of how you can do whatever you do – more effectively.
• Think of how you can improve the quality and quantity of service you render.
• Think of how you can help people in a greater way.

Money is a servant; the more you earn, the more you can help others.

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For 40 years, Bob Proctor has focused his entire agenda around helping people create lush lives of prosperity, rewarding relationships and spiritual awareness. Bob Proctor knows how to help you because he comes from a life of want and limitation himself. In 1960, he was a high-school dropout with a resume of dead-end jobs and a future clouded in debt. One book was placed in his hands - Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich - which planted the seed of hope in Bob's mind. In just months, and with further support from the works of Earl Nightingale, Bob's life literally spun on a dime. In a year, he was making more than $100,000, and soon topped the $1 million mark. Bob Proctor now travels the globe, teaching thousands of people how to believe in and act upon the greatness of their own minds.

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I'm obviously excited the Bob Proctor is going to be one of the "Faculty" at The Success Mechanics University of Freedom event in Atlanta. Not only is he one of my personal heroes, but I've seen how greatly his teachings effect those on all different levels of society - those who are struggling to make ends meet and those who have "success," but no real freedom!

I'll share about some of our other "faculty" members in future posts!
Meanwhile, you can check out the details at www.TheSuccessMechanics.com!

Getting Out Of R & D ...

This is an area I've struggled with extensively, and I know that many of my clients and fellow entrepreneurs have as well...

A lot of people get into a seemingly endless "loop" of buying book after book and course after course looking for the magic formula to accomplishing their latest goal (a new business or profit source, a home project or even a personal goal like weight loss).

Frankly, it is easier, and often more fun - "outfitting" ourselves for, learning about and dreaming of success in a particular area than it actually is doing the work that needs to be done in order to achieve success in that area.

Some also struggle with an intense fear of failure that keeps them stuck in the research and development loop. As long as their concept stays there, they haven't tried to execute and, therefore, can't possibly consider themselves a failure right?

I've seen it with people who decide to leave their long-time careers to start a home business. They often spend more time buying office furniture, computer equipment and all the tools they think they'll need than they do actually putting together prospect lists and starting their revenue generating activities like sales and marketing.

As with most everything, it's a balancing act. You NEVER want to go out and start something unprepared. If you start selling in business before you know that you have a good product that your audience will love, you're simply going to generate bad PR about your product. Or, as my dad used to say, "Nothing kills a bad product faster than good advertising. It just speeds up the rate that the world finds out you're no good."

And, if I were to go out and try and run a marathon, when I haven't been training for it, not only will I not finish, but I could seriously die.

It IS wise to be prepared. However, don't allow your preparation to keep you from action! You will most likely start before you FEEL ready. That's okay. Whatever you are doing, you will get better at it AFTER you start actually doing it. So... start before you feel ready. Set goals with dates - including time for research and getting ready. Then, cut yourself off and get into action. Remember, anything worth doing is worth doing acceptably well - till you can do it with excellence.

You need to know when to stop. It's a bit of an addiction, and it will take counterintuitive action to overcome it. But the more you get into the habit of quickly moving forward, the more it will become easier and easier for you.

So if there's something you've been waiting to get started on -- till you have a little more information or till you've perfected your preparation, get out on the limb and just do it!

Start today!

Ordinary Tools Can Deliver Extraordinary Results!

A review of Simpleology

Have you ever noticed that in our quest to get better results in our lives, we often look to external tools or solutions, rather than to the internal or existing tools that we already possess?

Whenever I visit a public golf course or tennis court, I'm reminded of this fact. It is there that I will often witness great feats of skill and prowess, performed using the most rudimentary of tools – an old, tattered set of clubs or racket, most likely acquired at a garage sale. This vision of their performance never ceases to inspire me, as I see, firsthand, how these true "weekend warriors" run circles around those of us who, perhaps, have put "looking the part" and equipping ourselves with the latest gadget or gizmo above developing our skills.

So, why do I mention this? Well, for 2 reasons actually. First, I think it helps to be reminded that it's more important for us to master the tools we have, rather than immediately seek new tools to be the "magic bullet" of improvement in our lives. (for instance ... a $1,000 9-iron may help Tiger Woods gain that extra edge, but it sure isn't going to help me if I'm not using my $50 9-iron with excellence.)

Secondly, a colleague of mine, Mark Joyner, has released a system which he calls Simpleology, which he is making available to participants for fr*e. He describes it as "the simple science of getting what you want." And, while it is brand new and innovative, its real power is in its simple and systematic focus on helping us develop the most powerful tool we already possess – OURSELVES!

Now, I have to preface the remainder of my comments by saying that Mark introduced me to this system almost 8 months ago now, but I have yet to make any public comments about it one way or another. Here's why – it has always been my policy, that I don't endorse or promote any book, product or service, unless I have examined it myself – even when I know, like and trust its creator. Why? Simply because my credibility is too important to me. So, I can honestly tell you, I've put Simpleology to the test. In fact, I'm now going through it for the third time in order to get even more out of it!

With that, I'll give my quick thoughts on the Simpleology system and let you know how you can check it out for yourself.

So, what exactly is Simpleology? I guess the best way I can describe it is as an online, multi-media success coach that literally leads you through a "paint by numbers" system for developing the skills and habits you need to make big changes in your life and get the things you've always desired.

It's format is that of a subscriber-based web site that includes powerful audios, videos, an ebook and worksheets that lead you, one simple step at a time, to the fulfillment of your short and long-term goals. Through this innovative format, Simpleology students are able to spend just 15 minutes a day reviewing the materials and participating in the simple exercises. And, even though the process and tool is short and simple, the results are nothing short of astounding. To a "maximizer" type like myself, this sort of time and concept leverage is unbelievably cool!

Is there anything earth-shatteringly new in Simpleology? No … and, then again, Yes. Frankly, for those who've been personal development buffs for any length of time, I've got to say that you're probably not going to hear anything that totally takes you by surprise. However, the format itself is so innovative and powerful that some basic principles that I already knew in my heart and mind were made real for me. I experienced the concepts firsthand. And, because of the strong self-accountability component of Simpleology, for the first time, I actually acted on and applied principles and strategies that I've known for years. Not only am I more charged up than I've been in years, but I've also got a definite plan and success track that I'm on to break through to new levels of effectiveness.

So, in my opinion, will Simpleology work for you? Nope! (Actually, this was a trick question.) Remember, this isn't some fancy $1,000 golf club. It's simply a guide and coach that will help you to use the greatest tools and resources that you already possess. So, it won't work for you, unless you work at it.

My advice … check it out for yourself. After all, Mark has been nice enough to make the full system available for fr*e, with no catches or anything. (Between you and me, Mark is a "sharp cookie" that employs what I call a ProfitFunnel System. He knows that as you get hooked on the successes that you develop through the Simpleology 101 System, you'll want more of his systems to help you go further in other areas. Eventually, he'll get me using and paying for his "$1,000 golf club." But, then again, I don't mind that at all, since by then he'll have me swinging like Tiger Woods!) ;-)

So, if you're interested, sign up for the Simpleology 101 system and give it the effort you deserve. I'd love to receive feedback on how you're able to make it work for you!

Manipulative versus Persuasive Copy

Those who know me, understand that I just can't keep quiet when it comes to copywriting and the manipulations and hypnotic phrases that copywriters use to lull readers into a mindless state of submission. (And, remember, I have been a highly paid copywriter and marketing consultant for over 20 years now, so I am not preaching from a position of moral superiority here ... but, some things cross the line - even for me!)

This week's bane of my existence:
The phrase: "painless drop in the bucket"

You will often read this in relations to the price of a particular product or service. It will often say something to the effect of,"Look at it this way, $47 really is a painless drop in the bucket compared to the money you can make by applying these principles!"

This has been so abused and overused, that I've even read copy from some of my close friends and associates that have used this phrase. I don't believe that any of the copywriters/marketers are purposely trying to distort and manipulate here. Usually, when something is THIS overused, it's generally because a copywriter is duplicating a successful formulaic sentence. In fact, if you want to have some fun and see just how carbon copy this phrase has become, do a Google search for the term "painless drop in the bucket" and see how many pages you come up with.

So, what's my problem with this phrase? Simply this - it is most often used to marginalize the cost of a "business opportunity" or "online marketing" product and it is NEVER universally true. In fact, to some people who are in the middle of difficult times, the cost of these products can be quite significant and even make the difference between an electric bill being paid or not.

What this phrase does is tap into the "gambling" instinct that resides in most of us ... and especially in those who are in the dire straits that they are because they've hopped around buying all sorts of "magic bullets" hoping that the next purchase will be the one that betters their lives.

The fact is, I don't care whether it's $20 or $200 or even $2000, the amount is always "painless" if it truly delivers a multiple of that amount. Conversely, however, it is always "painful" if it winds up being a waste. If you don't agree, I invite you to take out a $20 bill and light it on fire. All of a sudden, you'll think of all the other ways you could have used that $20 - whether for personal enjoyment or even to bless someone else by giving it away.

No.. to me, a much more honest and Scam-Free way of expressing the same sentiment would be to say... "Look at it this way, your investment of $47 in this [widget] will pale in comparison to the [benefits] you could receive if you put this [widget]to use like [name of one of the testimonials] did."

So, the next time you read on online or offline sales letter and you see the phrase, "painless drop in the bucket," use it as a trigger to think consciously about the purchasing decision you are making... Will you really put this product or service to use? Do you have the $ to burn if it doesn't work out the way you want? Does this product or service fit into the plan of what you need in order to accomplish your goals, or is it a distraction or "magic bullet" you're "hoping" will change things for you?

Only after consciously asking yourself these questions can you ensure that you're not just hypnotically reacting versus truly deciding for yourself!

Don't Blame The Medium

As a veteran marketing copywriter and consultant, I’ve heard it again and again “I’ve tried direct mail (or newspaper advertising, or television, or press releases, etc….), it just doesn’t work for my business." While the sheer numbers of times I’ve heard that phrase uttered makes me want to bounce off the nearest wall, instead, I remind myself that I, too, was once uniformed in this area of marketing. So, I switch to my role of educator and friend, in order to plant the new thoughts that I know will forever change my clients’ lives for the better.

As my good friend, Bob Burg, often says, “Begin with a faulty premise and you’re going to end up with a faulty conclusion.” He is so right!

Unfortunately, the premise that the marketing tactic (or medium) that is chosen is THE ONE determining factor in the success or failure of a promotion is about as widespread, and as faulty, as they come.

This faulty premise has largely taken hold over the last 2-3 decades, during a time when huge companies have opted for mass advertising to increase the name recognition of their “brands,” rather than compel audiences to action in order to directly increase sales. This would be like a farmer who scatters a ton of seed haphazardly over their uncultivated fields. Then, having their field workers harvest their crops. They may be pleased with the result, but because there is no accountability for results from specific fields, they have no idea which seed was wasted or which seed could have produced an even larger crop had greater care been given to the process. In other words, when you do the right thing the wrong way, you're still going to come up short.

The corrected premise that can transform your business is simply this - Advertising that produces results is, in my experience, based on 5 key criteria. These criteria are:

1) Audience
Who, specifically, are you aiming your message at?
2) Market Conditions
Are there any market conditions, positive or negative, that could influence results?
3) Message
Have you sufficiently compelled the reader to peruse your message AND given them a compelling enough reason to see you as better than others in your marketplace?
4) Media
Are you advertising in the publications that the audience reads?
5) Offer
Do you have a two-step offer that compels your audience to find out more, or form a light relationship with you, without asking for too much commitment before your audience “knows you, likes you and trusts you?”

It’s much like deep sea fishing. You have to know what you’re fishing for. Then, you can fish in the right place, at the right time, with the right bait. If you get any one of those key ingredient wrong, you’ll be spending a very long, boring day out on the water without much to show for it.

However, if you really know what you’re doing, you’ll “chum” for your fish ahead of time. By doing so, you, in essence, create your own little "stocked pond" in the middle of the ocean. So, when you cast your line with the real bait, you’ll create a feeding frenzy of “fish” just waiting to take your line and be reeled in.