10 Reasons You Should Write a Book
“Believe one who has proved it. Believe an expert.” – Virgil (“The Aeneid”) When Internet marketing was becoming popular, Bob Bly, a specialist in writing direct mail and the editor of ETR’s Mailbox Millionaire program, worried that his lack of experience in this new field could harm his freelance copywriting…
READ MOREDon’t Waste Your Money on “Name Recognition”
“There is nothing worse than a sharp image of fuzzy concept.” – Ansel Adams Smart people do dumb things . . . and so do successful companies. Of all the foolish mistakes businesses make, the two that I see most often involve marketing. They are: 1. failing to develop and…
READ MOREHow to Use the New Tax Laws to Boost Your Net Worth, Part 3
“Let us consider the reason of the case. For nothing is law that is not reason.” – Sir John Powell If you’re ready to take profits in an investment real-estate deal, there’s an easy way you can boost your profits by 15% . . . or maybe even more .…
READ MOREUnderstanding Motives is Central to Successful Leadership
“When I’m inspired, I get excited because I can’t wait to see what I’ll come up with next.” – Dolly Parton People who are emotionally engaged in their work perform at higher levels than those who aren’t. When we bring emotional energy to our work, we increase commitment, creativity, productivity,…
READ MOREA Fundraising Tip that Can Help Direct-Mail Promotions
“Funny how the new things are the old things.” – Rudyard Kipling When I first got into direct marketing, I took a course in direct-mail copywriting with legendary copywriter Milt Pierce at New York University. One day, a student asked, “Professor Pierce, why is it that as soon as I…
READ MOREWhen to Kill Off a Business Idea
“What man knows is everywhere at war with what he wants.” – Joseph Wood Krutch Most people will spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars trying to keep a favorite business baby breathing. Yet studies say (and my experience confirms) that it’s almost never a good idea. After the…
READ MOREHow to Double Your Money Every Three Years
“No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.” – William Blake To double your money every three years, you need an average yearly profit of about 26%. Does that number seem low to you? If so, do the math. A hundred dollars becomes $126 after the…
READ MOREA Great Opportunity
Since agreeing to write a book on getting wealthy I’ve been thinking about how I – and the wealthy people I know – made their money. I’ve come up with four ways: · Saving more · Increasing your acumen · Investing in real estate · Creating a second stream of…
READ MORE“Gifting” Appreciated Shares of Stock to Your Older Children
“I’m proud to be paying taxes in the United States. The only thing is I could be just as proud for half the money.” – Arthur Godfrey Last week, in Message #962, we looked at ways to take advantage of the recent cut in capital-gains taxes. This week, I want…
READ MOREHow to Be Great at Anything
“What we’re all striving for is authenticity, a spirit-to-spirit connection.” – Oprah Winfrey Good writing is hard to define. As a consultant to publishers, I know that as well as anyone does. It seems as if I’m always in the middle of one debate or another about whether some particular…
READ MOREHow to Increase Responses
“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” – Mark Twain Experienced direct marketers know this — even though businesspeople who are not direct marketers find it hard to believe: The way you state your offer can make…
READ MORETurn Your Favorite Pasttime Into a Moneymaking Venture
“Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” – Reggie Leach What’s your favorite thing? Golfing? Gardening? Poetry? Sports? It doesn’t make any difference what it is, there is a way to make a living from it — maybe even a very good living.…
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