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Want to Write the next BIG THING on YOUTUBE?

3/26/2015

Writing a Commercial

Commercials are more than just on TV.

They are on Youtube, Facebook, and any other online media.

They are a great way to get your company and your message out there.

Which is why you need to know the different types of commercials and and the best tips and tricks in writing them.

But before we go into the Top 12 Most used Commercial Types, you have to know the general layout of a commercial.

There are four basic commercial lengths - 10, 30, 60, and 120 seconds.

o   Ten-second commercials are usually “ID” or identification spots.

§ ID spots drive home a product name and support the campaign’s other spots.

o   30 or 60 seconds long are for brand recognition

§ build preference for a brand-name product

§ 90 word maximum

o   120-second campaigns are for Mail-Order commercials

§ Need to deliver more complete information to convince people to respond.

§ 180 word maximum

Now let’s talk about…

The Top 12 Most Used Commercial Types

1.    Demonstrations

Number One is Demonstrations. Demonstrations show how a product works. They help showcase what your product or service does and emphasizes its benefits and features. This is powerful if your product and service has noticeable results. Especially if you can document it with before and after photos.

It is also good for comparing two products to show how your product and service differs and is better than another. This can be powerful if you can prove that you have a better quality product or service.

2.    Testimonials

Testimonials are endorsements by past customers to add credibility to your claims. It is much more believable for a product when it comes from a customer or a third party rather than the manufacturer.

They can be written or spoken, but need to be from real product users. A fun way to get the real reactions is to use hidden cameras customers during product use and answers to questions.

Another and much more expensive, you can get Paid Celebrity Endorsements, but they are hit or miss depending on whether consumers believe it’s true.

3. Stand-up Presenter

The stand-up presenter, also known as a “talking head” or “pitchman stands before the camera and delivers a straightforward sales pitch on the virtues of the product.

This is good for giving your best salesman their day in the limelight, utilizing your sales letters and best scripts.

It it will follow the normal line of any sales letter.

For more on that format check out… How to Write a Sales Letter?

4. Slice-of-Life

The slice-of-life commercial is a miniature play centering on two or more people and a story involving the product.

It relates to your targeted customer by knowing their daily lives and how your product and service fits into that daily life.

This is one of the most powerful techniques to get your clients into the habit of using your products by seeing how it can be used to make their lives easier, more convenient, or just better in general.

5. Lifestyle Advertising

This commercial is targeted to an extremely specific group. Most likely the niche of your company.

It showcases how your product and service enhances and fits into your client’s life. Going even as far as to show that they can’t live their established lifestyle without your products or services.

This is useful in catering to your current customers in introducing new products and trends.

6. Animation

The best thing about animation is its versatility. Anything you can’t get done in the real world is easily grasped in Animation which is why it is very useful in some circumstances such as selling to children and certain cultures, but can fail to sell to adults.

It should be used to tickle the creative side of your company and take your customers and clients to a world they have never been or seen before.

7. Jingles

One of the best ways to embed your brand into the minds of consumers is to have a memorable jingle. A slogan set to music that is catchy and people just can’t stop humming or singing.

The idea is to create short and simple rhymes to a catchy beat. This entails enlisting the help of both a writer and musician to create it. So you should start by gathering both to brainstorm what the theme, pitch, and objective will be.

8. Continuing Characters

A great commercial strategy is Continuing Characters, but only if you can get people to fancy them such as the Gecko, the Duck, and the Tiger.

The use of a continuing character—a fictional person who appears in a series of commercials and print ads—is extremely effective in building recognition of a brand.

But once you have the go ahead that the public likes your character, it’s time to use them continuously and heavily until research or sales show that your customers are tiring of him.

9. Reason-Why Copy

If you have a great sales letter then it might be time to look into a Reason-Why Commercial which reads like a sales letter telling people exactly why they need you and your product and service.

Give the list of reasons why people should buy the product and can be effective, but only to the right audience. Others will be bored or just not need what you do.

10. Emotion

Every charity commercial relies on this form of commercial.

It goes after nostalgia, charm, or sentimentality to tug at your heartstrings (and your wallet).

They are memorable and persuasive utilizing complex emotions to whip you up into a tizzy so you make decisions based on the burst of emotions you feel.

But be careful as genuine emotional copy is hard to write.

Now the last two can be used, but have significant risks because they don’t try to sell, but rather entertain and therefore can be heavily misconstrued.

11. Visual as Hero

Some advertisers treat commercial making as filmmaking, not as selling. This usually doesn’t impress anyone nor does sell it much.

So why would people do it?

Because they have too much money and want to create something for the brand that goes beyond what they sell. Unless it goes viral, it won’t do anything for the bottom line.

12. Humor

Humor is a powerful medium. However it is very polarizing as it becomes certain after the joke on who finds it funny and who doesn’t.

The First One may buy, but the second most likely not.

Which is why you may need to avoid the funny commercial.

Now that you know what commercials you can write, it’s time to understand the basic tips you need to keep in mind while you do.

Tips for Commercials

Video is primarily a medium of pictures, not words. Be sure your pictures deliver a selling message. That works without sound so when writing the words should explain what the pictures are showing.

And Remember That:

Viewers can only take in a limited amount of sight and sound in 30 or 60 seconds.

o   You have remember to:

§ Maintain Ratio – Complex Graphics have few words/ Barrage of words has simple graphics

§ Make commercial interesting and important enough to stop your customer

§ Plan within existing budgetary limitations

§ Make sure the lead of your commercial is a real grabber

·         first 4 seconds are most important

·         Open with irresistible: snappy music, an arresting visual, a dramatic situation, or a real-life problem

When selling a product that can be purchased off the supermarket shelf

§ Show the label. Use close-ups to draw attention to the package

§ People will buy the product later if they remember the package

When using motion and sound

§ Avoid stagnant commercials. Keep it moving and buzzing

Use “supers.” - Titles, in white type, superimposed over the picture

o Example: NOT AVAILABLE IN STORES.” For Mail-Order

Repeat the product name and the main selling point at least twice.

Avoid hackneyed situations that bore viewers.

Don’t neglect the product.

§ Show people eating it, wearing it, riding it, using it, and enjoying it.

§ Demonstrate the product. Have people talk about how good the product is

Want viewers to call or write in to order a product or request more information

§ Announce this at the beginning of the commercial (“Get paper and pencil ready to take advantage of this special TV offer . . .”)

If you use a celebrity (either on camera or voice-over)

§ identify the celebrity with a voice-over introduction or superimposed title

Local retail commercials, give the address and clear directions to the store

§ Many locations, urge to find the location nearest to them

17 Comments

Why You’re NOT a Millionaire.

3/20/2015

4 Comments

Might as well have no head without them.

The 7 Skills You Need to Pick-Up to be Successful.

There are many skills in the world that you can learn to be successful, and without them, you won't.

They can be anything from speaking and writing to leadership and strategy.

But when you boil them down.

There are 7 that are more important than all others.

They are fundamental because they entail both maintaining and maximizing the mind and body. And creating abilities you can leverage to be successful.

Now let’s be off.

#1 : Habit Formation and Alteration – One skill that you need to develop is to form new habits and alter your old habits.

This is fundamental to all others on the list because you need to be able to master the art of habit formation and alteration. Because without it, it will be very difficult to understand the process of building the others on the list.

With habit formation, you are building new habits that allow you to develop yourself, your skills, and abilities.

With habit alteration, your taking old habits, finding their root cause, and changing the end result by maintaining the things that trigger it and replacing it with a new result.

For a bit more information on what you can do to master your habits… check this out…

#2 : Pet Projects (Skill Development) – Pet Projects are Goal-Oriented Projects you do out of school and work that help hone a skill you want, build a business you want, or do anything you want really as long as it fits your long-term goals.

You need to pick up Pet Projects because they keep you competitive in the job market by boosting your capabilities out of work. (Getting certified at a skill)

Can allow you to quit your day-job and do what always interested you, full-time, if they become successful enough. (Your Pet Project Business takes off.)

Keep you happy because you have something that is completely yours. Making it your baby.

To learn more and find out the steps to create a Pet Project, it’s time to check it out here…

#3 : Basic understanding of Systems:

To be successful, you have to be able to process information quickly and apply it over many different situations. This doesn’t mean you don’t change your view of things, but have to keep your eye out for the general systems of things.

As any world with rules or physical laws, a system develops within those constraints. And the system that develops follows the same fundamentals between them all.

That means that any organization, from governments to business, ultimately develop similar fundamental systems, and if you understand those fundamental systems, you can quickly understand how to work within them or even exploit them.

The fundamental system always looks like this:

·         What gets put into the system -

o   Inputs: Money, Resources, Time

·         What happens to Inputs in the System

o Activity Area: Processes, Methods, Formulas on Inputs

·         What is produced by the System to include bad and good

o   Good Outputs: Products, Experience, Education

o   Bad Outputs: Pollution, Animosity, less-than-stellar results

A quick example:

Your BANK ACCOUNT is a system.

It’s a system that holds your money and dictates what you can and cannot afford.

o   Income is your Inputs into the system from working, owning, and others.

o   The Bank Account is the Activity Area where you can move and hold your money while it gains interest. (Formula)

o   And Outputs is Spending from your bank account.

This is a fairly simple system, but can create dire consequences if you don’t understand it.

Because if your Income (Inputs) is less than your Spending (Outputs) than you will find yourself in trouble when the bills come.

This general systems theory can be applied to everything, as everything follows these fundamentals of systems. Because our world follows physical laws and rules that ensure fundamental systems exist.

Another quick example:

The Human Body is even a System.

The Human Body has Inputs (Food and Water).

The Human Body has many, many processes, methods, and formulas. (Digestive system, Respiratory System, Nerve System, etc., etc., etc…)

The Human Body even has Outputs (Excrement and Waste).

And it follows the same rules of the BANK ACCOUNT.

The difference here is that if your Inputs outweigh your outputs, than you will find yourself in trouble.

o   Input of Too Much Smoking and Drinking – Your Internal Organs will deteriorate

o   Input of Too Much Food – your body will overreact to excess food, leading to weight gain, and deteriorate over time

o   Input of Bad Food – like using bad oil in an engine, it will run, but it will run inefficiently and eventually break down. Just like your body.

o   Effecting your:

§ Brain Cognizance (Brain Function)

§ Motor Functions

§ And More

Lack of Outputs can be as bad as too many inputs as the system overloads with too many inputs and not enough outputs

For Example:

o   Output of No Exercise – leads to being unhealthy as the body cannot effectively regulate itself (Weight Gain, Body and Brain Deterioration, and more)

o   Output of Not Using your Brain

o   Not challenging or doing repetitive activities with your brain can lower your IQ

o   Only putting your brain in Cognitive dissonance can you “age-proof” your brain and slow the onset of symptoms of brain aging, and can also help to keep your brain functioning at peak capacity.

Segueing perfectly into out next Fundamental…

#4 : Healthy Lifestyle – Health directly translates in how well you can accomplish the other 6 on the list. Because without good health, your mind doesn’t work as well, your body is sluggish. And both deteriorate at the rate at which you let them.

So if you let yourself go, your mind and body will follow.

Therefore, the way to success is…

a.       Giving up Processed Foods – The Saying, “You are what you eat,” is true. If you eat junk, you are junk. It’s proven that if was touched by man. The more likely it is to break your body down, slow your functions, and ultimately end you.

b.      Supplementing – The normal person’s diet lacks much of what the human body needs. This is why it is important to ensure your body gets what it needs through supplementation

i.         The key here is once again to stay away from processed items such as extracts, synthesized (Man-Made) supplements, and other unhealthy supplements that aren’t can be laced with trace metals and other bad ingredients.

c.       Picking up Exercising – Exercise is one of the best things you can do to improve your mind and body. Giving balance to your overall well- being.

i.      Such as YOGA.

ii.      And figuring out how to work out anywhere!

d.      Create Cognizance Dissonance - Find ways to constantly engage your brain to build your brain powers

#5 : Life Audits – Life Audits are important because they let you refocus on your life and reevaluate how it is going.

Letting you see if the actions you’re taking and the activities you’re involved in our accomplishing your future.

A quick sample is:

I want to be successful in my company.

And I need to get a few certifications to do that.

Am I taking the Certification Classes in my spare time or am I watching television?

If you’re watching TV, you’re off the trail to your success.

As Excessive Television or any activity that is not benefiting you socially, economically, or financially is not helping you accomplish what you want.

And you need to get back by taking a few evening courses.

Because…

Is it worth it to you to watch 34 hours of television a week? (Average for an American.)

To learn more on how exactly to run your own Life Audit and find if you’re off track, check it out here…

#6 : Time Management –

We live in a world of limited time, but infinite possibilities.

Albeit we are slaves of time. It is very possible to master it and bend it to our will.

The key is to train yourself to use schedules, lists, and timers.

·         The schedules tell you when to do things.

·         The lists tell you what you’re doing and how to do them.

·         And the timer ensures your meeting your time requirements so you get done what you need when you need to.

In time, you will come to find you don’t need the any of them and you can see your schedule, list, and timer inside your mind.

For more information, check out how you master time by using The Power of the List Series…

·         THE POWER OF THE LIST 1

·         THE POWER OF THE LIST 2

·         THE POWER OF THE LIST 3

·         THE POWER OF THE LIST 4

#7 : Socializing Skills – Most of the time, it’s not enough to just be good at what you do.

Most of the time it is only 50% of the battle.

Instead, most of the time it’s all about how well you can get others to like you.

This is just the way it is.

So don’t whine about it.

Revel in it.

Become what you’re not as it’s the fastest and easiest way to success.

Which brings up the question…

How does one learn to socialize?

Well considering I was born very shy and awkward. I was always afraid to talk to people.

                And now I can talk to anyone, anywhere, and at any time.

And the only way I found to get good at it was…

·   Become very thick-skinned

o   Be able to take criticism, rejection, and outright aggression from others

·         Become rubber skinned

o   When need be, be able to turn the tables of the conversation upon those who are criticizing, rejecting, and being aggressive and reflect it to overcome their objections

·         And ultimately practice.

o   Learn how the art of conversation works. Because just like anything, all of them have the same essential pattern that can be followed. And what you say becomes less important to HOW you say it.

So find out more how you can be the champion and learn to socialize…

So You Want to be a Millionaire?

You must have noticed and realized that all of these Fundamentals are Internal.

Never mentioned was knowing the right people, having the right idea, or being in the right place.

Because they are all External Factors.

External Factors that you have no control of, which means they are based on luck and the twist of fate. Both of which I never put much faith or money behind.

Because to be successful, to be a millionaire, you have to understand the game you’re playing, how to maximize your abilities and potential, and ensure to take care of what you do have, YOURSELF.

Everything else is luck of the draw.

This has been a long, long building Blog Post that I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing.

Let us know what you think in the comments and don’t forget to share to others on, “Why they’re not Millionaires.”

4 Comments

The Fives Ways to Hack Your Brain's Productivity

3/12/2015

3 Comments

More Honey. Less Time.

Top 5 Productivity Hacks

Do you want to be more productive, but don’t know how?

Then you are in luck as this month’s Top 5 is how to become more productive during your daily routine.

#1: Power Naps

Feel like your mind is done for the day? Overworked? And Overwhelmed?

Power naps are the best way to rejuvenate yourself as long as you don’t go over 30 minutes. Doing so enters you into a deeper sleep that causes the grogginess people feel after waking up and why they hate naps.

#2: Take a Break

Take at least 3 major breaks a day. This helps invigorate your mind and rally your thoughts to get back to work 2x as strong. Have one in the morning when you first wake up to get the mental juices flowing. The second in the afternoon and should involve a light exercise or yoga. And the final one is in the evening to recharge for tomorrow.

#3: Make a Work Plan

Find your optimal amount of time to work before you need a mini-break. This could be anywhere from a ratio of 2 hours to 1 hour, 25 min to 5 min, or any other combination that is optimal for you. The key is to maintain the pace and not let up.

#4: Use Timers

Time everything you do to ensure your meeting your productivity goals. Once you’re done timing, go back and find out what helped and what heeded you in meeting your goal.

#5: Change Your Environment

The human mind needs change. And working in the same environment can cause the mind to get into a rut. Which causes your productivity to suffer because there is nothing to engage your mind and make it work, learn, and adapt. Therefore, find 3 or 4 different places to work from and rotate through them to keep your mind fresh and working.

3 Comments

Work Sucks? How do you make it better?

3/5/2015

3 Comments

Exhausted by work?

Work Sucks.

What makes work suck?

It’s boring and unfun.

Which is the widespread cause of turnover, lack of morale, and general uneasiness throughout the work place.

Next question.

How do you make it suck less?

Well it turns out, a great management technique to use is Gamifying.

Gamifying, the art of turning everyday work into a game that people enjoy to play.

For Example:

Filling out forms?

Find out who can do it the fastest with the least amount of mistakes and reward them with a massage, time off, or to trade a work project they are working on to someone else.

Need to increase sales?

Combine your sales people in teams to see if they can come together to beat others for recognition and glory.

Need to increase productivity?

Make teams of people race to see who works best together to increase productivity

Want to get your employees motivated to take on Outside Training?

Then give them points to attend classes, seminars, or conferences and have them return to cross-train others for even more points.

If they get enough, pay for a class of their choice from skydiving, cooking, or more.

The key is to have a game that rewards your employees for desired behaviors such as productivity, sales, or more.

Next Step:

The How-To Guide to Gamifying your Company or Team.

1. Outline the average activities that your employees do each day.

File paperwork
Make Sales
Get Customer Comments
Think up new ideas.
Increase Productivity.

2.       Identify the cons of the activity and see why it is unfun.

a.       File Paperwork

i.      Mundane Busywork

b.      Make Sales

i.      Constant Rejection without a uplifting team environment

c.       Get Customer Comments

i.      No Incentives to do so

d.      Think up new ideas

i.      Management won’t listen and no reason to change what isn’t broken

e.      Increase Productivity

i.      No incentive to do more with less

3.       Create Framework for Game

a.       Brainstorm Ideas on how to turn these activities into a game with points to score.

i.      Turn filing papers into a point system that if they make enough points by filing faster; they get an all-expenses paid spa day, the afternoon off, or some other reward they can use their points for

1.       Individual Game that promotes incentives for individuals to do better work

ii.      Turn making sales into a Team Sport by combining people together to compete against each other to see who wins.

1.       Team game that incentives people do work better together to beat each other

b.      Brainstorm Rules to the game to make it more challenging and fun

i.      If you have a busier time of day enlist rules that they can make double the points if they work together to make the work go faster

ii.      Set standards that they do certain things like sell an add-on they get combination bonus points

4.       Introduce the game slowly by having only a few people do it to get the kinks out

a.       Experiment and Test to see the incentives and rules get the desired results

b.      Sometime competition can breed bad feelings and drama so you may have to decide the best approach on the personality of your company and culture.

c.       Figure out best ways to track points and numbers

5.       Take what you learn, rehash it, and prepare it for mass consumption

a.       Here you have a meeting and introduce it to the team

b.      You will have to explain it thoroughly and ensure that your employees don’t just see it as a hair brained scheme that will go away tomorrow.

6.       And Finally…

MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!

And there you have it. The best way to boost your company in one of the simplest ways.

Turn it into a game.

Hope you enjoyed today’s blog.

And don’t forget that gamifying works with consumers as well as with employees.

Best,

L. Thomas

3 Comments

Common Sense is a LIE! And how do you escape from its embrace?

2/26/2015

3 Comments

Perception is not Reality. Common Sense doesn't Exist.

Common Sense is a lie.

A lie that has frustrated me for a long long time as it is the cause of most
misunderstandings and hatreds in the world.

Why is Common Sense a lie?

Well let’s define it first:

Common Sense as defined from thee Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

COMMON SENSE: Sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.

The initial problem with this definition is the assumption of “Simple Perception”.

And where the disconnect lies is in the assumption “that perception is reality.”

Where in the real world, perception doesn’t exist.

As perception is just the way you process the world, but it is not the way it is.

This makes perception subjective.

For example, the old saying, “Hindsight is 20/20” is a perfect example of why Common Sense and Perception do not exist.

Because Common Sense is the application of techniques and actions based on a Subjective Perception which can be proven wrong by Reality or Hindsight.

The problem lies that “Common Sense” dictates that there is a right answer.

A right answer for whom?

Because my right answers are probably different than your right answer.

I want to do something faster by using machines.

But you don’t want to because you want to continue traditional techniques that machines can’t replicate.

Therefore my common sense answer is different than your common sense answer. Which is paradoxical as how can common sense have different answers.

The Myth: Common Sense is Natural.

The next issue with common sense beyond not existing is that it is assumed to be natural…

But it is not natural. You are not born with it and it doesn’t come to people naturally.

“Sense” which is common is instead created by experiences. Experiences that you had yourself or learned from someone else.

This is where "Sense" comes from.

So because “Sense” is learned and experienced, it cannot be assumed to be natural. As many people never have the same experiences. Let alone “perceive” them “the right way” so it becomes “Common Sense”.

SO what is means is:

Common Sense:

Is NOT the “average” response.
Is NOT ALWAYS the “right way or answer”.

Showing that Common Sense is fundamentally fallible because it assumes:

All people have this “Common Sense”
Because all people have the same experiences
And they experience them the same way
And these experiences cultivate into a correct and absolute answer to all situations

All of which are assumptions that are not based in reality because:

Common Sense can’t exist in a world with Multiple Right Answers.
Everyone can’t have the same exact experience
And they can’t learn from that experience the same “Sense” as everyone else has
And there are no right answers. Only decisions that have results.

So the Real Question is how-do you untangle yourself from the ingrained false logic of “Common Sense” and “Perception is Reality”?

How to Untangle Yourself from your Perception and “Common Sense”.

1. First, you have to identify what your perception or belief is that you think is Common Sense.
a. For Example:
i. People believe that it’s “Common Sense” to drink caffeine to stay awake.
ii. But studies show that it is better to take a 30 minute power-nap than to power through with caffeine.
1. Web MD: Power of Power Napping

2. Next, find why you have this belief, how it could be wrong, and what is perpetuating it.
a. For Example:
i. People believe caffeine is the right answer because their peers or role models do it.
ii. People believe it works because it “Worked” for them.
1. Meaning you tried it yourself and you got the results you wanted
2. But what “Works” is subjective to the person
3. Meaning it may have not been the best way to do it

3. Then go out and get a second opinion from someone else that explains why your belief or Common Sense could be wrong.
a. Even though you may have this belief, you may not be easily able to see it and recognize its causes
i. Why do I want caffeine?
1. Am I addicted to it?
ii. Is it because it tastes good?
iii. Do I drink it out of habit?
b. So you need to go out and find someone who is looking at you from “Outside the Box.” who has an objective view of the situation
i. Because if you ask someone with the same belief, they will most likely tell you are crazy and that you are wrong about trying to change your belief.
ii. For Example:
1. You want to try Power Naps and want to kick caffeine
2. You ask someone who believes that caffeine works and says why change what works? (Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix it Fallacy.)

4. Now evaluate your responses and your objective observer’s responses in #2 & 3 of this list with the assumption that everything you wrote down is true.
a. Argue for each point by creating supporting evidence that justify why your belief could be wrong and how your belief could be bases off something irrational such as:
i. Denials
ii. Opinions (Of Yourself and Others)
iii. Biases
b. For Example:
i. I am addicted.
1. It’s the ONLY THING that works.
2. My friends are doing it.

5. Once you feel like you've got it, redefine your Belief and Common Sense and brainstorm how to change your mind about how it just can’t be completely true or actually exist.
a. Here is the hardest part of the process, the moment where you accept that your belief or perception isn't true to reality and that Common Sense can’t exist.
b. For Example:
i. I accept that the Common Sense of drinking caffeine to stay awake is not the only answer to this problem.
ii. I accept that is most likely a cause of my past experiences that caused me to believe that it is the only way to stay awake.
iii. I accept that my experiences alone create a “Sense” that is not all that Common.

Why you should do this?

Our perception of reality does not exist, but is the belief that it does. As all beliefs are ultimately opinions. Which is why they vary hugely from individual to individual.

So allowing our perception to be more adaptable. Becoming gradually more and more in line with ultimate reality is helpful and useful to making a better world. Because in the end, perception fizzles out, and we always dwell in reality, in knowledge, in certainty.

Allowing us to critical think about how the world works and reduce misunderstandings based off of belief and opinions.

Allowing us to be aware that our perception is merely our individual perception, and we can actively choose to view life's circumstances through the many differing perceptions.

Is helpful in being compassionate - accepting without judgment both myself and others as we/they currently are – as we live in a world of ever-changing perceptions may seem like our reality today, but will maybe be different tomorrow.

Helping us be happier to go with it and step into the flow of life as we see life for what it is, and not for what it isn't.

Best,

L. Thomas

3 Comments

What the Devil is an Info Product?!

2/19/2015

5 Comments

A How-to Guide in using Info Products?

How to Acquire Prospects with an Info Product?

One of the best ways to create new clients is to write Infoproducts that people want and sell them at a discount. Or to be even more effective, you can give them away for free.

But what is an Info Product?

An Info Product is a book, e-course, or other form of informational or educational material that is created from real word experience versus academic which may not work in the real world

Why they are great?

Why it is great for building new business is that you are positioning yourself as the expert of your industry, but also not trying to hard sell yourself. Instead, giving away useful information that can help people with or without your service. And that is the key.

With Info Products, you give them a taste of what you offer, but never give them the full experience until they come back hungry for more which is where you upsell them on a package, service, or another info product.

Why you need to start using them in your business now?

You are an expert at what you do.

You have all the information you need to create your very own.

All you need is to put it in a readable format and market it to the world.

Showing you are the expert to bring in more and more business.

And watch as you…

·         Increase your business by as much as 300%

·         Position yourself as the expert of your industry

·         Pique the interest of people who actually want your product

But now to the nitty-gritty...

A How-To Guide to using an Info Product to drum up new business:

1.       Create info product of how to solve a problem or fear of a target market

a.       Examples

                                                               i.      7 ways to destroy back fat

                                                             ii.      Tax Slashing Secrets of the rich revealed

b.      Then Market the Info Product as a separate entity from your business

i.      Have them sign up for that free info product through mail, landing page, website, and other medium

                                                             ii.      give a free trial or service

                                                            iii.      sell them the product

                                                           iv.      sell them more expensive products

                                                             v.      turn them to champions and give them promotions and discounts to champion your business (50% discount for their friend)

Places to use Info Products while Turning Suspects into Champions

1.       I.e.: Suspects – Free literature(Report, letter, info product)

2.       Prospects – 79-149 dollars for self study courses (Programs and classes)

3.       Clients – 500-2500 dollars for Group Training Program

4.       Champions – Promote group training program/strategic partners for referral benefits

*Packages – be specific about what you offer in the package

*Use a Marketing Funnel with material for each step in the client process. To include the suspect, prospect, client, regular and champion. (i.e. Marketing Kit)

Have more questions about Info Products?

How to Format? What to write about?

Then contact me and I can give you a complete rundown.

5 Comments

Are you willing to Pay the Ticket Price?

2/12/2015

15 Comments

Paying the Ticket Price.

Paying the Ticket Price is the phenomenon of when people want to do something, but do not want to pay the cost of it in risk and money. Due to Fear or Frustration.

Fear of Paying the Ticket Price

The major aspect of this phenomenon is not wanting to risk a $1000 to have the opportunity to make a million.

I have faced this phenomenon myself over the years. Having been put up against ordeals and steep upfront costs that I was afraid, quite literally, afraid to pay. For a time, it kept me from doing the things I wanted because of the fear of losing and gaining nothing.

In fact, it happened. It happened a lot.

There would be many times where I would pay into something and find that I had paid for a waste of time or an opportunity that wasn’t right for me. Or I would just not try at all.

Even worse, it used to happen to me whenever I would face rejection.

In the past, I just didn’t want to take the risk or pay the ticket price to meet a new person and build a great new relationship.

An example of this is when I used to be squeamish in talking to new people because I was afraid to say the wrong thing or have them not like me. I would instead make up every excuse in the book to not talk to anyone.

But I realized after a while that I was not living my life. When faced by my unfounded fear of Paying the Ticket Price.

Another example is when I did not have a lot of money and needed to take a $1,000 plunge to have the opportunity to make more. I was extremely afraid to take the plunge because doing so would have put me in a much worse situation if it didn’t pan out.

And these experiences taught me that I had to learn to Pay the Ticket Price. As the only real way to gain anything is to risk something. Either reputation, money, or your self-esteem.

So the real question is…

How-Do you learn to Enjoy Paying the Ticket Price?

There is 3 fundamental steps to learn to enjoy paying the ticket price.

1st Step: Acceptance

Accepting that you may never feel right about meeting a new person or taking a risk.

This is key as many people believe that it will may get better over time. But more times than not, you may never be able to escape the anxiety you have to overcome each time you have to move out of your comfort zone or take a risk.

This is just a natural reaction of the body when you attempt to take it out of where it feels comfortable. The fear of the unknown or something new elicits this response to help protect you. But many times, it’s a hindrance. Keeping you from achieving your true potential.

For example, I network constantly and every time before I head out to go to a new place to meet new people, I’m struck.

I’m struck with the anxiety of the situation.

I am literally driving to a place I have never been, meeting people I have never met, going to talk to them as an expert of what I do, and ultimately try to SELL my services.

All within a very short-time frame.

And many times, they will have no need for my services and I will be rejected.

The very idea can-be nerve-wracking.

But the minute I get there and settle in. I feel great about the whole scenario and perform perfectly. Doing what I set out to do.

Which is why it is so important to understand that you may never feel good about what you have to do. And having this realistic expectation keeps you grounded and helps with the next step.

2nd Step: Find a way to PEP yourself up.

This step is crucial in overcoming your anxieties.

As many things in life, you can’t just jump into it. You have to WARM-UP.

Like exercise, you have to warm your muscles up before you work out or you’ll get an injury.

The same goes for overcoming your anxiety. You can’t just go into a situation without being mentally prepared to act. Because if you do you may make a mistake or not have gusto in what you’re saying.

Others will pick up on it and not be sold on you knowing what you’re talking about. Putting them off on doing business with you or even continue talking to you! (Even if you’re the best at what you do)

Therefore, you have to come up with a mini pep-rally or ritual that puts you at ease or fires you up. One you can do every morning to put your anxiety to rest or overpower it.

This can be any activity from:

·         Talking yourself up

o   Tell yourself you’re an amazing person in the mirror and this means nothing to you

o   Tell yourself that many of done this before and been successful and you will be too

·         Jump around

o   Get your blood flowing with some light exercise or 20 minutes of yoga

·         Drink or Eat

o   Have a cup of your favorite drink or a plate of food to help clear the morning haze

·         Rewards

o   Give yourself a reward if you triumph over your anxieties and did what you set out to do

·         Put your mind at ease

o   Meditate or do an activity that calms you enough to do what you need to

The activities are endless as long as it helps reduce your anxiety so that you can perform.

3rd Step: Use your motivation and seize the day

After your ritual, it’s imperative to get right into it and ride your motivation as long as you can to do what you need to.

Make the calls you need. Go to the meetings you need. DO EVERYTHING YOU NEED.

And if you feel you’re losing it. Take a few moments to pump yourself up again to rekindle your fire or mediate to put yourself back into balance.

If you take a hit to your ego, because of a mistake. Just remember it doesn’t matter as long as you don’t let it trip you up and you finish off strong.

Your Payment of the Ticket Price.

Now you understand the phenomenon of Paying the Ticket Price and how to overcome the frustrations and fears it causes.

Because many times people will avoid a short term pain, even if it will benefit them a long-term gain.

Which is why it is important to identify your feelings and use these tools to help keep them in check.

Helping you overcome your anxiety of short-term pain and bring you success in the long-run.

Enjoyed Today’s Article?

Then Subscribe and Let us know what activities you do to pump yourself up or put yourself at ease to triumph over your anxiety.

15 Comments

Triple 777 Tips: How Social Media Has Changed Image Management

2/3/2015

29 Comments

Image management used to be much simpler. Before. You could have a private life and it would not affect your career and people’s opinions of you.

Nowadays…

Private Life is Disappearing.

You can’t go anywhere without someone somewhere collecting information on you. Physically or Digitally.

In fact, you can’t post on Twitter without the chance of getting backlash for an opinion tweet.

Actually, you may not even be on social media, but may have had a picture taken of you with someone else, and the next thing you know. Facebook knows you.

Even if the picture is really embarrassing!

The worst part?

It’s there forever.

Which is why maintaining a professional online image is very important to your career. Important to impress recruiters when they search for you online. Important to impress clients when looking for your services. Important to your success.

Therefore, avoid damaging your image and maintain your image management with these fine tips.

#1: Everything you say can and will be used against you. So do NOT post comments that are detrimental to your reputation and are unprofessional.

This may sound familiar and holds true in court as well as your online image.

Because people will judge you solely on what you post about yourself and especially what others say about you.

In fact, anything you have written in life such as college papers can in fact be dug up and used against you.

Meaning:

Do NOT post subjects and opinions that can anger others and be considered insensitive and juvenile. Avoid politics, religion, and others.

This does not mean you cannot have your opinion. The idea is to avoid permanently being judged for an opinion you had years ago because it is associated to your social media and easily searchable. Because opinions change, but changing first impressions can be painful.

#2: Do NOT post objectionable material such as pictures, videos, and other media.

Avoid many topics and pictures that can give the wrong impression. Because everything and anything can be taken out of context, twisted, and advertised as fact. This includes videos, pictures, and other media that can misconstrued.

Meaning:

Every time you post pictures of being trashed and posting to all your friends that you blacked out. To include the pictures that they post which you have no control of. Will be on the internet and be seen by all current and future potential employers and clients. And no one wants to entrust their business to someone who can’t control their “intake”.

Tip No. 3: Try to avoid joining groups, fan pages and applications that are detrimental to your image.

Setting your profile to “private” does not mean it is private. Many times it’s shared through channels that are less than reputable. Also you can accidently accept friends who you do not know well and could be a potential employer or current employer collecting dirt from your profile.

Meaning:

Do not join controversial fan pages, groups, and applications that others can fuss over. Many times, people will look for any reason to complain and having liking risqué content gives them fuel for their fire.

Tip No. 4: Provide useful information to the communities that your online image tailors to.

If you’re a Financial Expert, and you want to impress clients or other financial experts than post consistently articles that are useful to them. If you are a psychologist, then post shareable content that pertains to what potential clients would enjoy. Having a long line of posts that are useful creates credibility and makes you a Thought Leader.

Meaning:

Post content that is useful for others. But this doesn’t mean you can’t have artistic flare. It is important to differentiate and get your content shared. So make sure all your content is entertaining and allows others to want to share it. Because one Viral Video can change everything.

Tip No. 5: Request recommendations, join groups and answer the questions of other users after creating your social media.

Participating online can be extremely helpful in building a professional online image. Writing articles displays leadership and knowledge in your given field can build a following that loves what you do. You also should contribute to the community by commenting on others articles and answer questions.

Meaning:

Be a part of the community you work in and create new content to help spur creativity in others. This lets you grow as not only a professional in your field, but an expert.

Tip No. 6: Strategically write and publish in industry-related publications.

The more credibility you have, the more business you have. This is true in all aspects of life.

Therefore you have to publish your work in trade journals, magazines, and other publications that get you in front of the people who will value you most.

Meaning:

Make samples and get in with the publications best. If you’re a photographer, get featured on reputable photography site or magazine. If you’re a business person, do a conference or seminar. If you’re in education, get published in an academic journal. Once it’s published, use it in all your marketing to boost your appeal and professionalism.

Tip. No. 7: Build a website that showcases you as a major player in your field.

It is not the person who is the best at what they do that wins in the real world. It is the one who is most publicized to be the best in their field.

Meaning:

Do everything in your power to showcase your ability to the right people and you will have a higher chance to make it to the top. Market yourself as a professional. Build yourself as a Professional. Network yourself as a Professional.

Final thoughts…

Be diligent in your career and your image.

No one will manage your career for you.

But they will manage your image into oblivion.

Don't Let People Fade You and Your Image Into Oblivion.

29 Comments

Are you maintaining your image? Or is someone else in charge of the way people see you?

1/15/2015

8 Comments

More often than not, other people are in charge of how others see you.

And they do this by telling others all about you.

Which is why it is so important to understand the categories that people judge you on.

So you can ultimately avoid creating a bad reputation that you can never live down as only one incident can affect you for the rest of your life. So here it is...

The 7 ways to be Professional and Maintain your Image.

Being thought of as a professional is more than doing well in your field.

You have to do more.

You have to convince others that you are a professional.

And to do that, you have to excel in each of these areas:

1.    Quality of Work

The number one fundamental of being a professional is to be good at what you do. If your quality of work is bad, then your professional image will be bad. As people will view you as someone who is incapable of doing your job and acting on what you say.

2.    Responsiveness and Customer Service

You have to be responsive to your client’s needs. If you aren’t communicating and adapting to what your client wants from their professional, you can expect that they will not call you back or refer you after they are done with you. For example, one client will need and want to only know important details and updates of what you are doing for them, while another will need to be updated almost daily as they want and need the constant communication.

Therefore…

·         Do what you say and most people will be happy. Go the extra mile and you might just get a lifetime customer.

·         Respond to e-mail and phone messages promptly

·         Follow up with clients after a project to ask for their feedback

·         Make recommendations and offer solutions to problems

3.    Accountability

Being accountable is very important. Many people respect people who face the music. And don’t like those who try to slip away from responsibility and accountability.

Not only is it important for others, it is important to not only face your failures, but to actually use them to understand yourself better and your actions that led to those failures. As in my own life, I learn so much more from constructive criticism and my own failures.

4.    Overall Presentation

Presentation.

Presentation is the most important piece of being considered a professional.

This is due to the fact that no matter how good you are at what you do, if they think you don’t look the part, they will not hire you. This may not be fair, but that is the way things works.

Now presentation is not just a PowerPoint, it is every avenue that your clients may interact with you and your image. This includes your web site, marketing materials, proposals and project plans, portfolio, voicemail message, e-mail signature, your look and voice when you meet with clients, and any other way your prospects interact with you.

5.    Communication and Listening Ability

Looking the part of a professional, you have to communicate clearly, concisely, respectfully, and responsively.

Which goes hand in hand with your listening ability. As communication is a 50/50 exchange. If you are talking more than your client, you are not effectively communicating.

As how can you have any idea of what they want if you are talking at them?

That is why it is important to consistently ask questions to hear what your clients have to say and to ensure they understand what is happening.

6.    Social Networking Personas

Where your professional image can fray is when it comes to your online profiles. No matter how private you believe your profile is, it will get out.

And this can damage your professional image quickly and irrevocably as it is impossible to have something taken off the internet.

Which is why no matter what you do, you have to run your online presence with a PR sense of mind. As one faux pa and become who you are.

So always consistently be professional and genuine.

7.    Reputation

It is so much easier to have your client be sold on you before you even show up than it is to convince them when you are there. Especially when someone refers you or talks you up.

And to be sold before you get there is through your reputation. It is a virtuous circle that perpetuates itself as people want to know you and people want to work with you as a professional.

If you are interested in more about Reputation and its management then check out last week’s blog post on IMAGE MANAGEMENT.

And don't forget to subscribe for next week as we wrap up our 3-part Image Management Series.

8 Comments

Do other people think highly of you? And are you portraying the right Image?

1/10/2015

5 Comments

Have your image in order!

Here is the thing about image.

It is being managed whether or not you are managing it.

This is because it is being created everyday by others. As they are constantly observing your behavior and forming ideas about your competence, character, and commitment,

They judge you before they meet you. They judge you after meeting you, and they judge you every time after. Every communication. Every interaction. They are judging you.

And sometimes you might think its OK to pleasantly surprise people with who you are when you get there. But the probability that their pretenses of who you are, will already be set and affect their view of your actions is very high and can negatively affect you.

For example, if someone has the idea that you are dishonest, and you show that you are honest time and time again. They will rationalize that you are being honest to be dishonest and it’s a trick. And no matter what you do, you will be incapable to change that opinion. It is just the way things are.

Therefore, you must always show that you are technically competent, socially skilled, strong of character/integrity, and committed to your work, your team, and your company. As research shows people favorably regard the traits of trustworthiness, caring, humility, and capability more than all others.

Threats to your Image

And to maintain that image, you must use image management as the any action can be misinterpreted by anyone and everyone when taken out of context.

But before we take the path to understand the techniques and process of image management, you must understand the identity threats that can cause incongruence of who you are, and how you are perceived.

They are predicaments, devaluation, and illegitimacy.

Predicaments are events that go poorly and end up becoming public knowledge. Essentially, you failed to accomplish one thing or another and it ends up reflecting badly on your image.

An example is when you were put in charge of a situation and you did everything you could, but still failed. And although everything is out of your control, the perception exists that it failed because there is something wrong with you and you caused it. Albeit unfair. It is the way it is.

Devaluation is when you are dis-valued not for your competency or ability but for who you are. This could be because your boss doesn't think highly of your personality type, social identity group, or background.

An example is stereotypes of different cultures where no matter what you do, you are dis-valued because of who you are.

Illegitimacy is the last one. This is where you are successful and have all the licenses and experiences.

But…

They don’t believe you are legitimate because you don’t fit their expectations of someone in that role.

This can range from “you lack presence”, “You’re not confident”, or “You don’t have the right look”.

How to Manage your Image

Now that you understand the threats to your image you now understand the importance of Image Management.

How?

By promoting and highlighting the aspects of your personality that people value and minimizing and suppressing those that they do not.

This entails understanding how people view you through what they say, how they say it, and the body language they use.

Through:

Monitoring others' perceptions of you
Monitoring your own behavior
Strategically speaking to meet their expectations
And proving your worth and legitimacy time and time again

Without that, you cannot adapt yourself to meet and exceed people’s expectations.

Therefore the first step you need to take hold of your own identity is to have an aggressive approach to managing your image:

To start you should ask yourself a few questions:

What are traits and values you want others to associate with you?
Which social identities do you want to emphasize to others and which ones should you minimize?

· What is your current image of how do others perceive you?

· Are you capable of changing your image?

In Conclusion…

The most important thing you can do today is start controlling your image.

Without control, people may have a million different views of who you are, all created by the imaginations of anyone you meet. This can cause incongruence that can cause you to appear two-faced or unauthentic.

Next week

Find all the ways and processes to cement your image to portray yourself as a professional through what you do and especially how you present it.

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Want to Write the next BIG THING on YOUTUBE?

Why You’re NOT a Millionaire.

The Fives Ways to Hack Your Brain's Productivity

Work Sucks? How do you make it better?

Common Sense is a LIE! And how do you escape from its embrace?

What the Devil is an Info Product?!

Are you willing to Pay the Ticket Price?

Triple 777 Tips: How Social Media Has Changed Image Management

Are you maintaining your image? Or is someone else in charge of the way people see you?

Do other people think highly of you? And are you portraying the right Image?

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