Remember Jordan

If you grew up during the Michael Jordan era, you remember how exciting basketball games were.  It was ideal situations with 3 points down, final 3 seconds and you know for sure Jordan is getting the ball. I remember watching as a kid, with unshaking faith that Jordan will make that shot and win the game.  I never doubted it.
And as I grew up, I got into reading Jordan’s biography and found out all the times he missed his shots.  How his percentage was low in shots made vs shots taken.
No one ever remembers the shots Jordan missed.  No one remembers that Michael Jordan never made his first tryouts for the basketball team.
Everyone remembers the victories.

A quote I came across today:

I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
- Michael Jordan

So did you quit after missing your first few shots?

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Thought of the Day

You are your business. So remember that when you’re working your tail off, getting all stressed out wondering why your home business is not flourishing. People do not start a home business to stress themselves out and work harder. The reason anyone works hard is because they’ve been conditioned to it. The sweat of your brow is one way to produce more, but do not be mistaken, it is not the only way, or the best way. It is about automating most systems in your business so that you spend more time focusing on income producing activities. Its about enjoying your life, so other people whom you prospect can feel the texture of that lifestyle in your voice. Lead by example. Why did you get started in your business? Is it to work hard and stress yourself out? Remember, there’s a big difference between being self-employed and being a business owner. Self-employed people just traded one job for another job. Business owners run their business smart and have systems in place to make life easier.

Keep the Main thing the Main Thing

I’m a technology guy.  No I’m not a nerd.  I like technology.  Not technology as in home entertainment center.  I’m somewhat different.  I like technology like programming, software, the computer behind the computer.  Yea, that deep.  So anytime I see a new way of doing something, I immediately and instinctively want to find out how it works in the back.

When I first began marketing, a lead capture page was the first item on the list.  Being a know-it-all, I decided to save a few dollars.  The nerd in me wanted to take over.  I knew how to build webpages.  Why pay someone money when I could do it myself.  And I did. A task that was simple in my head when I began coding started taking much longer.  The position of the form, bulleting certain points.  Layout of the page.  I didn’t know this has all been invented before.  There’s a science and an art in this field.

A lead capture page involves a whole different set of skills than building a Model-View-Controller application.  I knew the html syntax, I knew the basic elements of what was involved in building a lead capture page.  However, what I wasn’t skilled at was copywriting, graphics, placement of lead capture form.  Using words that call for direct action.  Distinguishing between branding and direct response.  So when I first started building my own webpage, I thought I was doing great.  I would spend most of my time focusing on the technical elements.  How to tweak it, upgrading graphics.  Modifying copy randomly.

It wasn’t long before I was focusing all my energy on building a lead capture page.  Instead of focusing on the core of my business, generating leads and prospecting.

The results showed.  I had to step back for a second and take inventory.  I learned quickly not to do everything myself.  There were people who were more skilled than I was at building lead capture pages.  They knew how to test copy.  Write words that subconsciously call the user to take action.  For a few dollars a month, I can outsource the job of a solid lead capture page and focus on my core competency.

Keep the main thing, the main thing.  Its easy to get distracted, but stay focused on the goal of the business.  I try to think of it as “oxygen” to the business.  If the activity you are doing is not as important to the business as oxygen to a living thing, then chances are you are going astray.  Building a lead capture page was not oxygen to my business.  Generating leads was.  Thats what kept my business alive.  So let go of being a perfectionist.  Your weakness is another person’s strengths.   And in the long run, it keeps you on track and focused.

AWeber – Best Autoresponder

I have used several autoresponders in the past. ConstantContact, GetResponse, EmailAces. At first I started with a free autoresponder at trafficwave.com. Very quickly I realized that most of the trafficwave autoresponder messages were going straight to the spam folder. So I moved to another autoresponder, only to find out that they prohibit home based businesses using their software. I inquired into this and they said it was due to a few bad apples abusing autoresponder software to create spam.

By now, I was sick of switching autoresponders every month. So I decided to do research and found out the top marketers use aweber. They have the highest delivery rate. I haven’t had one problem with them yet.

A person who subscribed to my list and forgot hit the spam button and aweber notified me right away.

If you’re looking for an autoresponder, and you’re new to the game of marketing, you’re probably like me and are looking for a free autoresponder. A suggestion, save yourself the headache. If you’re serious about being a marketer, spend the $20/month and get aweber. You can even take a test drive. Its well worth the money.

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http://www.warriorforum.com/forum/

When I first heard of this forum, it was during a conversation at 3am in Hawaii among some master marketers.  I went home to look at that site.  I was expecting something flashy and fancy.  At first glance, the site looked pretty ugly.  However, I noticed some big names posting in that forum.  A lot of good resources in there.  Free e-books, knowledge and advice from people in the game.  And affiliate links when recommending resources are frowned upon.  So when someone makes a recommendation, they’re really doing it because they truly recommend it, as opposed to an affiliate link which causes the reader to question the integrity of the suggestion.  It is actually one of my favorite place online to hang out.  So much useful info in there, its mind boggling.

If you’re new, just hang out there and read threads.  Absorb.  I personally recommend it.  http://www.warriorforum.com/forum/

Its a great place to toss ideas around and get opinions of other marketers.  A great place to get reviews of resources that marketers have used.

The Good Life

“The good life is expensive.  There is another way to live that doesn’t cost as much but it isn’t any good”.
- Spanish Distillers

Don’t complain about how everything is expensive.  Instead be grateful that you are in a position to even contemplate such a decision.

Always another level

As far as I can remember, I always wanted to be successful. I assume everyone does, but I remember distinctly when I was in 4th and 5th grade. It was a time in my life when I was doing well in school, and overheard friends and family talking about how bright I was. Even some random careers were thrown around, doctor, engineer…

It was then I started to ponder a bit on my future. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to be wealthy in every area of my life, not just money, but health, relationships etc… It was at the time, one day on tv, I saw an infomercial for Tony Robbins. He looked very excited on tv, energetic. It was summer time, I had nothing to do but watch tv. I remember it like it was yesterday.

It showed this beautiful island. And Tony Robbins was standing in front of it. A house which looked like it was out of a fairy tale shown from the sky. It was amazing. It was the first time I ever saw anything like it. It was the first time, I saw so much wealth. It was the first time the idea that someone could buy a whole island ruffled my young mind. WOw! Its a whole another level. A private jet. Since then I don’t think I’ve ever had the same image of wealth in my head. Remember no matter how wealthy or successful you are, there’s always another level. You stop growing when you stop stretching yourself, challenging yourself to get to the next level. Whatever area of life that it maybe in, you must be grateful for the current level in your life, the blessings and strive to reach to the next level.

You may say, “I’m happy where I’m now, I’m content. I do not want to reach the next level.” Thats the seed for failure. Nothing in the universe is still. Everything is energy and energy is motion. You’re in motion. Are you going forward or backward?

Knowledge, A good Place to Start

It doesn’t matter where you are at this point in your life. No matter what circumstance you may be facing, challenges, anyone can start with this step, seek knowledge. You will never find what you’re looking for just hoping for it everyday. You must take action to seek. Everything is accomplished simply through awareness. You work with your computer everyday, but it would be hard to explain how it works, unless you are aware of the inner workings for a computer. Everyone watches tv but most people would not be able to tell you how it delivers the picture. A tv repairman on the other hand can easily tell you how a tv works. How do these people become aware. They seek knowledge.

After a person graduates college, they get a job and learn what it is they need to be successful in that job. That person may excel in their job, but like countless people, they are not aware of how to improve their other areas of their life. Instead of seeking knowledge, they seek entertainment.

Spend a few minutes a day reading. Whatever it may be, a book in a field of subject you’re interested in. Imagine reading a book a week, in a year, that person would have read 52 books. Where will you be in 5 years if you did that starting now? Would your life be any different?

I find it easier just before bedtime, a few pages instead of the news soaking in my head while I sleep.

Hello world!

Its my pleasure to be here.  A few thoughts to ponder here.