Success: What Price Will You Pay?
The question that has always vexed me most is when a subscriber writes and asks: “Should I become a freelance copywriter?” “Should I start an Internet marketing business?” “Should I [fill in the blank here]?” Now, if you ask me HOW to do these things, I can give you some…
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How to Increase Conversions Using FOMO
You slide into bed and crack open a book. After the day you just had, this is exactly where you want to be. What could be better than this? You think. As you turn the page, you hear a ding! Your best friend just sent you a text. Where r…
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3 Keys to Negotiating a Better Salary
One of the critical factors in business school rankings is how well their graduates are compensated. So, as a professor at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, I tell every MBA class I lecture that my first objective is to…
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How a Millennial Couple Got Rich and Retired by NOT Owning a Home
I read an interesting story today about a 30-something couple that got rich and retired by choosing NOT to buy a home. Kristy Shen (33) and Bryce Leung (34) did everything their parents told them to do. They went to college, graduated in computer engineering, found 9-5 jobs, saved money,…
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The Power of Personalized Gifts
In Robert Cialdini’s classic book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Cialdini reveals the six universal principles of persuasion. The first principle is Reciprocity. What a lot of people don’t know about this first principle is it extends beyond just giving in order to get. In a talk Cialdini gave at the International Behavioural Insights Conference…
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What People Want vs. What They Say (#1 sales lesson)
You say you want to be a millionaire. I say you’re lying. You say you want to lose 40lbs. I say you like being fat. You say you want to wake up early and have your daily routine dialed in. I call BS. What most people say they want is not…
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Change Your Business and Your Life (In One Day!)
Be honest: how many times have you envisioned the career and life that you dream about, only to immediately talk yourself out of it? Maybe your objection was something like, “There are too many things I need to do to reach my dream! I’ll never get all that done! I’ll…
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How to Write What You Don’t Know
You’ve probably heard this old maxim before… write what you know. Great advice… Just not for copywriters, and you’ll see why in a second. Last night, I was re-listening to this interview Mike Dillard did with pro copywriter Craig Clemens. In the interview, Craig shares one of his best writing exercises that his…
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Sell the End Result, Not the Steps to Get There
“Why would someone pay for this?” is what I was thinking. Not that long ago, I couldn’t understand why someone would pay for one of those “X-Number-of-Days Challenge” programs you see being advertised. You know, the ones that promise your dream body in 21 days. Most of these challenges are extreme…
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7 Things You Need to Know About ‘The Numbers’ in Any Business
Following the 2001 Major League Baseball season, Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane found himself in a pickle. Three of the A’s key players — Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, and Jason Isringhausen — announced their departure from the ball club because their free-agency salary demands could not be met. Losing…
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Facebook Spilled a Big Glass of Milk and Wants YOU to Clean It Up
You’ll never guess what Facebook just announced… Facebook wants to stop… WAIT FOR IT… …Clickbait (And you won’t believe how they’re doing it.) Facebook writes: We’ve heard from people that they specifically want to see fewer stories with clickbait headlines or link titles. To address this feedback from our community,…
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How Goodreads Creates Products Its Customers Love
“I have a theory about product development that I’ve been developing over the years, which I think is pretty powerful and I’d like to share with you guys…” Otis Chandler the founder of the website Goodreads.com recently gave a talk at Hustle Con about How Goodreads Got 50 Million Users. One piece of advice Chandler shared…
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