Simpleology Blog

As we continue the build up to ...

The Simpleology Great Teachers Series: Joe Sugarman and Ted Nicholas Teach Direct Response Copywriting

... I want to share with you yet another story about the power of the written word.

Ted is well known for inventing simple "magic words" that are sort of like little "keys" that unlock wealth.

One of them was used to sell over 3,000,000 copies of his self-published books.

Now, if you think for a moment that you could never be an author yourself - think again. In fact, there are a great many "speed writing" tactics you can learn that can turn you into an author in less than a week.

It sounds outlandish, but it makes perfect sense once you learn these speed-hacks. (I have a full course on these tactics that is free when you download the Simpleology Bestseller Blueprint.)

Anyway, I just wanted to make clear to you that whether you think so or not - this tactic applies to you.

So, what are the magic words?

Local author.

You're going to laugh, this is so simple.

See, what most people don't realize is that the media is just as hungry for good stories as you are for the free publicity a story about you gives.

Now back up for a second ...

Think about that. A story about you or your company is far more powerful advertising than a full page ad in your local paper. An expose about you on your local news program is far more powerful than a 60 second ad spot on TV.

How much does the advertising cost?

Yikes - far more than I'd ever want to spend on advertising.

How much does the story cost?

$0

What's amazing is that local news outlets (news, talk shows, magazines, newspapers, blogs ...) want your story.

Every day, reporters and editors wake up with a problem: they need good stories.

"Local boy/girl makes good" is one of the classic story formulas you'll see in the news over and over again.

Why?

Well, no one really knows for sure. We can theorize about it all day, but what matters is that it works. Or, for our purposes, what matters is that editors believe it works and that puts them on the look out for these stories.

So, if you come to local media outlets with your own "local boy/girl makes good story" - for example, a story about a local who just wrote a book - you're presenting an in-demand product (you) to a "thirsty crowd" (the media).

Now, as it is with most all profoundly powerful yet simple ideas, most people will fail to act on this.

You, knowing that Ted used it to sell 3,000,000 self-published books, will not have this problem.

Stay tuned ... There's more about Joe Sugarman and Ted Nicholas to come.

Up next: how Joe Sugarman outsold a computer store's annual sales in one day with one ad.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 8:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0)

The two mystery men are (in order of presentation above - but not in importance - they are both equally magnificent) Joe Sugarman and Ted Nicholas. (you'll learn more about them as this series progresses)

If you posted the right answer, please contact our 24 Hour Live Help Desk and they will unlock for you any Simpleology course you have not yet purchased valued up to $97.

Over the next few weeks I'll be revealing some shenanigans that Joe and Ted have pulled to vacuum up "extra champagne and caviar money" during the last few recessions.

First, some housekeeping info ...

In about 5 weeks we'll be releasing our newest course based on the teachings of Ted Nicholas and Joe Sugarman. Not only have these two men generated billions (that's billions with a B) in sales purely through the sales power of the written word, but they have taught a great many others to do the same.

Ted calls it the science of "turning words into money."

How successful are their students? Well, listen to this ...

Joe used to offer a (now sadly no longer available) 5 day copywriting workshop during which he'd teach people his method for writing cash-producing advertising. To give you an idea of how successful the alumni of this workshop are, I'll give you two names: Sharper Image and Victoria's Secret.

Ted travels around the world teaching these secrets and has appeared live in front of millions. Many of the latter-day-marketing-gurus (like Yanik Silver, the late Corey Rudl, Matt Furey ...) credit Ted with some of the most critical breakthroughs that led to their success.

Now, there are some things you need to know about the course they put together with us:

1. It's called ...

The Simpleology Great Teachers Series: Ted Nicholas and Joe Sugarman Teach Direct Response Copywriting

2. Like any other Simpleology course, it is presented with the proprietary "Simpleology Learning Methodologies" which will make mastering this material extremely easy (especially if you have found copywriting difficult in the past).

3. It is based on the teachings found in 3 books by Ted and Joe - but presented in a way that will force you to master the material. (One of the books encapsulates Joe's teachings from the workshop I mentioned above.)

4. Rather than cram all this material down your throat, you'll master it slowly and methodically over the course of 12 months.

5. The course will be available starting some time in October, so get ready.

Meanwhile, curl up by the fire and get ready for some good stories. In Part 3 I'll tell you how Joe Sugarman opened up a computer store and did more sales his first day than the competing store did in the previous year.

HINT: My team once modeled this campaign and pull over $200,000 in sales out of thin air.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 6:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

Both of these men have lived through 5 severe economic recessions and prospered lavishly throughout each.

While others were scrimping and saving these two men were living lavish champagne and caviar lifestyles in the world's most exotic locations.

How did this happen?

Over the next several posts in this series, I will not only tell you their stories but also how you can duplicate their success using some very simple techniques.

(Note that I said "simple" - not "easy" - these men did not get a lion's reward by doing lamb's work.)

Now look, the recession is no laughing matter so I don't mean to take this lightly. When I say these two men (both dear friends of mine - and together they have generated billions and billions in sales) laughed at the recession, I don't mean that they are laughing at you if you're going through tough times.

If you're in a real bind right now, I strongly recommend that you use something like the 7 Day Business Turnaround Kit immediately (it works).

If you're in no real hurry, and you want to learn how these men did billions in sales no matter what the economic tides washed in, then stay tuned to this series.

Hint: they are both trained in the same skill. Can you guess who they are? We have a Simpleology course coming soon based on the teachings of these two men (the next in our "Great Teachers" series). Jot your guess below. We'll select three of the people who give the right answer at random and give them free access to this course. Everyone who gets the right answer will get a prize valued at $97 US. Your answer must be time stamped no later than Thursday 28 August 11:59PM Eastern.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 6:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (114) | TrackBacks (0)

You may remember the "Simpleology Bestseller Blueprint" product we released two months ago ...

We closed down registration so that we could complete our 4 "Marathon Coaching Calls" where Mark promised to stay on the line "until all your questions are answered, or until I pass out."

Well, ask they did ... Sheesh, these guys were ruthless!

In fact, these guys were so eager to squeeze every last bestseller-making secret out of Mark's mind that they kept him on for 5 hours at a time (!) for a total of about 20 hours.  (And Mark loved every minute of it.)

The good news for you:

1.  We recorded every minute of those calls and you can listen to them in their 100% uncensored glory.  (there are marketing strategies on here you've never heard anywhere else - we guarantee it)

2.  Because these recordings are so extremely valuable, we are going to raise the price of the Bestseller Blueprint to $1,497.  (hey, that's still a bargain - Mark used to charge $2,000 an hour just to talk to him on the phone and he won't even accept that now)

3.  We have re-opened the doors and you can purchase the Simpleology Bestseller Blueprint again now (with the 20 hours of Mark dishing out the answers to every meaningful question imaginable) - and for the first week you can still pick it up at the original price of $997.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

My friend Matt Bacak had a seminar of his swiped by one of his students and now to get "revenge" he's giving away the entire seminar for a dollar.  (Note: he's also automatically subscribing you to another service - it's quite clear but can be missed in your excitement to grab the goodies for a dollar - just cancel if you don't like it.)

Is this a marketing ploy?

Well sure - of course it is.  But it's also one based in truth.  Knowing Matt personally (he and his wife are genuinely sweet people) I can affirm he is indeed closing down his business to work for another company.

I also know that people "swiping" other people's intellectual property is an all-too-common occurrence these days.  Heck, I've watched people swipe entire charts, passages, and genuinely unique concepts from my books and claim them as their own.

So yeah, it happens.

Matt could have allowed the event to make him bitter, but instead he decided to turn it into something profitable for him and others.

I first met Matt years ago at one of my seminars.  After that he made a great success of himself in short order.

I took the above seminar he's giving away two years ago and it was excellent.  The info wasn't new to me because I'd been doing what he taught for years, but to anyone who is new to e-publishing it is a fast method for learning how to do it - from the ground up.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 4:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBacks (0)

Today we're releasing my first #1 best-seller (Mind Control Marketing) in ebook form (along with the controversial "Missing Chapter").

Since I let it go out of print a few years ago, used and tattered copies of the book have been sold on Amazon Marketplace and Ebay for $100 to $500.

But you can now download the same information instantly.

What is it?

Well, basically it's a "hacker's manual" into the human brain.

Computer hackers look for hidden loopholes where they can sneak their way into computers and get the computers to do their bidding.

Practitioners of Mind Control Marketing do this with the human brain.

And they use this not just to get people to fork over money to buy products, but also to influence people to do anything (ranging from seduction to sedition).

(If you are wondering why I made the decision to make this information public again, I address this in the intro to the ebook version, and in the Missing Chapter.)

Now, here's a little demonstration of one of the simpler "hacks" you can use to get people to do what you want ...

Imagine that you want to borrow $20 from someone.  How likely are they to say yes?

What if you could get them to say yes almost every time?

Try this ...

1.  Select someone you know, but that isn't a "best friend" (a best friend is too easy - and there are other tactics you need to use for strangers - you'll see when you read MCM).

2.  Tell them you're in a really tough financial situation and that you really need their help.

3.  After you make your situation clear say, "Look I'm $1,000 short on my rent this month, can I borrow it from you?  I promise I'll pay you back next month."

4.  They are very likely to say no unless they have lots of money and are really close friends.

5.  After they say no say, "OK, I totally understand and I don't blame you at all.   How about just 20 bucks then?"

Chances are extremely high that they will say "yes" to the 20 dollars.  If you had simply asked directly, the likelihood of getting a "yes" would have been much lower.

This is what's known as the "Door in the Face Technique."

It's simple:  if you want someone to comply with a request, ask them for something outrageously huge first - then ask for what you really want.

It works like a charm.  Well, "charms" don't really work, do they?  This does.

The applications of this simple technique are limitless.   If you can imagine an interesting one, please share it with us in the "comments" section of this post.

This is but one of a great many "loopholes" into the human mind that you can exploit immediately to get people to do whatever you want.

Is it unfair to have this advantage?

I'll leave that for you to discuss.  Meanwhile, I'm making this information public once again for now.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 6:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (35) | TrackBacks (0)

Kevin Hogan, an excellent friend of mine and regular contributor to various Simpleology projects (ok, yes he's the guy you see on TV talking about body language all the time - that Kevin Hogan), released The Secret Language of Business at amazon.com today. He's got an unreasonably nice selection of ethical bribes to induce you to get this book.

Kevin's had three number two best sellers at Amazon and it's time for us to get him to number one. The book simplifies some fairly complex stuff about nonverbal communication and dispels a few myths along the way. Good thing about Kevin's work is it's well researched (amidst a whoooole lot of nonsense in the business book world). The result is a tool box of nifty ways for you to make more sales and hear "yes" a lot more.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 2:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (17) | TrackBacks (0)

This two minute archive footage will tell you once and for all: what happened to Mind Control Marketing?

Was there really a missing c ______?

Was it really sold for $500 a copy on ebay after it went out of print?

Can you get a copy now without selling a kidney?

Posted by Mark Joyner at 8:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (23) | TrackBacks (0)

According to the Consumer Awareness Institute, gambling is statistically more likely to be profitable than participating in multi-level-marketing companies.  (reference)

In fact, they say even illegal pure pyramid schemes have a statistically higher probability of rendering a profit.

Is the CAI correct?  Discuss below.

(Disclaimer:  I am negatively biased against MLM.  I used to own several "network marketing" companies, and was the top distributor in several others.  I don't participate in MLM at all now by choice [I don't believe it is a good model], but I'm still friends with many who do - even though I don't condone it myself.   Many Simpleology members are actively involved in MLM companies as well.  I thought I'd open up the discussion here in a friendly, albeit controversial, way.  Simpleology members run the gamut from those who are staunchly against it to those who live by it.  Let's discuss the facts as friends.  Friends can, and do, often disagree.)

Posted by Mark Joyner at 5:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (68) | TrackBacks (0)

"I'd really like to be a best-selling author, but I don't know how to write."

What's funny is that most of the "best-selling authors" I know can't either.

There are some writers, like me, who do indeed write all their own work, but most of the writers I know use other tactics to get the job done.

Here's just a small sample ...

1. Hire a ghost-writer

You'd be surprised by how cheaply you can find quality writers overseas. They'll write an excellent book for you at a price you'd scoff at and say, "Surely this figure is too low!"

And get this: you then even have the legal right to say you are the author of the work.

(Just make sure you use a good contract.  You can find boilerplate contracts of all sorts at places like nolo.com or lawguru.com - or you can hire an intellectual property expert like Bob Silber if you want to fly first class.)

2. Record conversations with experts

This is so simple it's funny that so few people do it.

Just record a collection of conversations with experts, have the conversations transcribed, and - poof! - instant book.

You may not be an expert yourself, but by association everyone then thinks you're an expert, too.

It's so easy it's almost unfair.

And experts will fall over themselves to do these interviews with you because the smart ones know it's long term free publicity for them.

3. Record a conversation with a buddy

OK, so you don't want to write, but you have some thoughts.

Well, ask one of your friends to talk to you about it and ask questions.

You then have those conversations transcribed and massage the final result into a book.

If the conversation is good, it may stand as a book on its own.

If not, you can just massage your responses a bit and - voila! - instant book!

Suggested Resources: 1.  7 Day Business Turnaround Kit (for the "Outsourcing Secret Weapon" module - shows you how to find qualified people overseas for pennies on the dollar - without exploiting anyone), 2. Conversations with Bestselling Authors

Posted by Mark Joyner at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)

I watched each of these videos myself.

It took hours upon hours.

I asked for the opinions of many, weighed them against my own notes, and there you have it.

The judging was hard.  Damn hard.  There were so many and so many of them were absolutely brilliant.

Not everyone is going to agree with our choices, but keep this in mind: part of what we factored into the three winners was how much "best-seller mojo" the presentations had.  Remember, this isn't a competition for best-writing authors - it's a competition for bestselling authors.

Read on ...

Other Notables:

OK, this isn't' a "runner up" list so please don't determine that yours wasn't worthy if you're not on this list either.

And who the heck am I to judge anyone?  Remember that many bestselling manuscripts are turned down time and time again before finally getting picked up by the right publisher.

Becoming a bestseller has less to do with pleasing editors than it does with believing in yourself.  Sounds trite, but the wisdom of that keeps proving itself to me time and time again.

Bonnie Jean Schaefer

"Miss Schaefer" enlisted the help of her class to launch her book.  Right on!  Start these kids out young in their entrepreneurial learning.  Contact our help desk and I'll send a copy of the Simpleology print book to each of the students in the video.

Barry Thomas Bechta

Hey dude - points for dreaming!  Now here's the really contest prize:  you don't need my personal help to make it as a bestselling author.  With the Blueprint, you can make this happen for yourself quite easily.

Demon Daddy

Maybe one of the strangest video effects I've ever seen. 

Doc Williamson

Well, he knows how to push my buttons - this is exactly the kind of thing that interests me right now ...

Wayne Buckhanon

Wayne read The Rise of the Author and fictionalized the challenge I put to the world in that document (to come together to create an uncontrollable version of the Internet).  Wayne calls it "alternet" which wouldn't be my first choice - since the name is already associated with something else.  However, he totally gets it - the new Internet needs to run on uncontrollable devices in a way that is completely unblockable. 

Donna Sheehan

An awesome children's book that will take less than two minutes to read.  (Whether or not you are a fan of the "law of attraction" stuff, this book would have a positive impact on kids.)

Some Heavy Epiphanies

Michael Seeley

Pheonix Rising

Kenyon Salo

John Flynn

Dale Smith

Lisa M. Robbin

Cameron Thompson

Debbie Mahler

Videos with 3,000+ Views

Mykola Kindrat

Lisa Young

Anna-Barbara Warga

Margie Remmers

Jim Love

Posted by Mark Joyner at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

Just a quick note here about a live "prep school" event we're holding on the 26th, one hour before the launch of the Simpleology Best-Seller Blueprint.

First, if you have any questions about The Rise of the Author, please post them in the comments section of the ROTA blog post.  I've been taking the time to answer most of the questions posted there and will do the same over the next few days, so fire away!

Now, as for the Prep School webcast, we have limited seating available for it, so please register ASAP if you want to attend.

You'll learn how to prepare for your future life as a best-selling author form me three multiple #1 best-selling authors:  Dr. Joe Vitale, Frank Rumbauskas, and yours truly.  We're also giving away a $100 scholarship to all who attend, a document that cracks the New York Times Best-Seller code called NYT-Shade, and more ...

It's a free class, but because seating is limited, we are limiting it to those who intend to purchase the Best-Seller Blueprint, so please do not register otherwise.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Are you beginning to see how easy it is?

Well, it's easy if you know what to do ... Our new course will show you how to take your music from "idea" to "dollars" step by step.

Hint: if you act fast when we launch the course on Wednesday you'll get a huge discount and some nice extras.  Meanwhile, enjoy the video ...

Posted by Mark Joyner at 5:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Here's another short video put together by Kaching Tanker Leon Jay.  It will show you a ridiculously simple way to get some free promotion for your music (or anything else for that matter).

First, let me state that I made a mistake.  We received some rather useful feedback from some of the members about the contest.  It seems that not all musicians want to profess to the world that they want to be famous.  Or, maybe they want to be famous, but they don't want to create a video testifying such to the world.

So, we've loosened up the rules a bit.  You can now tell us simply why you want the world to hear your music - and you can even simply tell us by showing us your music as well.  Part 1 for full details.

OK, meanwhile check out this little video that will demonstrate just one of the many ways you can get almost instant free promotion for your music.  (Hint: the same site you're about to discover gives you some rather useful stats as well - also free.  Don't you love the Internet?)

Posted by Mark Joyner at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Here's a quick and dirty tactic you can use to promote your music today - and start seeing results almost instantly.  It's but one of the many tactics available to you.  One important note: if you're going to write reviews, make sure they are real reviews.  Posting the same review over and over or a fake review is what I would call "net pollution."

Posted by Mark Joyner at 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Esmee Denters taught herself how to play the guitar and sing.

With her sister's webcam, she recorded herself playing cover tunes and posted them to youtube.  She quickly became a youtube celebrity.

So what?  Well, it caught the attention of Justin Timberlake and a year after her first youtube post she was the first artist signed to Timberlake's new label.  Since then she has recorded songs with several mega stars and opened for Timberlake in Amsterdam.

OK, so she was "discovered" right.  Pure luck?  I don't think so ...

See, you don't have to get a record deal with a big label to make it big.  In fact, some  of these "Internet stars" are thumbing their nose at the big labels entirely and remaining purely "indie."

Stay tuned  ...

Posted by Mark Joyner at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The first shows itunes sales in millions-per-day.  In early 2006 they exceeded 1 million music downloads a day.  (Hint: it's 2008 now.)

So what?

Well, compare it to this graph from emarketer.  It shows what will happen to digital music sales compared to physical music sales if the current trends continue.

That's right - some time next year digital music sales will surpass physical music sales.

So, is being an "Internet Music Star" not such a big deal?  Some used to think that.  The above graphs show the reality.

But there's more.  A lot more.  Stay tuned for the rest of the series.

P.S. We've added three categories for the contest (see below): Best Performance Male, Best Performance Female, and Best Performance Group. The contest is still wide open, so if you want to have your stuff promoted to 250,000 people the time to get your entry in is now.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 9:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

It's official: in 2008 it will be easier to become a rock star than at any point in history. 

By "rock star" we really mean "famous musician."  Whether you're into rock, classical, jazz, techno - whatever - it's now possible to go from "no one" to "star" sometimes literally overnight.

You don't need a label.  You don't need an agent.  You don't even need a huge budget.  (Some people do this on a zero-dollar ad budget.  It's crazy.  Read on ...)

We'll blog some jaw-dropping facts and case studies that prove this new phenomenon over the next few days as we lead up to the release of our newest course on 22 29 January 2008.  The course will show you in precise step-by-step detail everything from getting your music recorded to turning it into a #1 best-seller.

Meanwhile, here's how you can win free access to the course - and more.

In fact, four people will all win:

• Free Access to Our New Course on Online Music Promotion
• Free Access to Any Existing Simpleology Product You Don't Yet Own
• Promotion of Your Video to Our Base of Over 250,000 Customers (yep, you read that right)

Once you've submitted your entry, keep your eye on this blog for case studies and facts.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 7:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (42) | TrackBacks (0)

Hey guys, 4 important bits of information here, so I'll try to make this super quick ...

1.  Replay (and download) for yesterday's webcast is up.

2.  In case you missed the URL for the free video on creating "killer bullets," there it is. 

(It's going to go away in 48 hours - sorry ...)

3.  Follow up call tonight - all about headlines!

4.  Michael D. Morgan answers your questions ...

We had 170+ questions last night, so obviously we weren't able to get to all of them.  Michael is a really caring guy who loves helping people, so he took the time to answer these offline and asked me to post them on the blog.  Of course I was happy to oblige!  Here are some examples of the most popular questions.  If yours wasn't answered, get on tonight's call ...

Now I'll pass you over to Michael D. Morgan himself ...

Posted by Mark Joyner at 2:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

It's not brain surgery.

It's not international corporate law.

It's not underwater welding.

It's something far easier to learn: "direct response copywriting."

This is the ability to write advertisements (shown in magazines, on television, on the web ...) that ask for a direct order (via the phone, an order button, a mail in form ...)

Yep, this ability is in fact, hour for hour, the most profitable skill on the planet.

True statement, but very misleading.

Yes, some direct response copywriting has pulled millions of dollars from just a few hours of "real work."

But the reality is that most direct response copywriting is a money-losing endeavor.

That's right. 

Most of the copy written in the world is a complete and utter waste of time and money - both for the copywriter and his client (if he's writing for a business other than his own).

So, how do you learn the methods for writing copy that actually pulls in the cash?

Well, first you find an expert who has done it "for real" and doesn't just talk a good talk.

Michael D. Morgan is one such copywriter.

This is an amazing guy with the "grit" and experience from life required to be a truly great writer.  Not only is he an ex-Marine, a champion bicyclist, and a gourmet chef - he's also written a salesletter that pulled in over a million dollars in 36 hours.  He wrote another that pulled in over a million dollars in just 3 days.

We could go on, but you get the idea ...

So, you have your expert.  What next?

Next, you get him to reveal the little "secrets" that have taken him years to discover - that's what we'll do tonight.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

(If you haven't read Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4, scroll down and read them now. In fact, you really need to start with the post "What is the Single Most Powerful Force in Marketing?")

I hear you.

And that's what I'm about to do.

First, a re-cap of the salient points:

1. Word of Mouth is the most powerful force in marketing ...

2. ... because it can make someone bypass the sales process and go right to the order, and ...

3. ... this happens without having to pay for direct advertising, but ...

4. ... it doesn't come from Incentivized Word of Mouth or pseudo-viral gimmicks, it ...

5. ... must be Inspired Word of Mouth, and ...

6. ... that type of WOM can be controlled by you.

Now, two posts ago I told you about C-Rate and why it almost doesn't matter.

If you have the time and resources to measure it, it's a helpful idea, but when you learn what I'm about to show you about Inspired Word of Mouth, you'll soon see that it might not be the figure you should be watching.

See, inspired Word of Mouth is a natural process that only comes from making gradual and steady improvement to what I call "The 4 W.O.M.K.A.I.s"

That may sound technical, but it's not at all. When you hear it you'll get an instant "blinding flash of the obvious." Everything will start to make sense.

More about The 4 WOMKAIs in a moment.

First, let's talk about "gradual and steady."

Fast movement is a powerful weapon. Indeed, on today's military battlefield many theorize that speed is the ultimate weapon.

Think about it - if you can quickly get to your opponent with a great big stick, it won't matter if he has slow access to a nuclear warhead. He'll never have time to get to it.

But that only makes sense when we're talking about dispatching an enemy.

See - business, at it's best, is less about DEstruction than it is about CONstruction.

We're building - not destroying.

And building is about stability.

This is why the followers of the Japanese business theory of "Kaizen" talk about avoiding radical shifts in your business.

If you make radical shifts in your business you tend to shut down production in the process.

Radical changes to affect Word of Mouth could have the same effect. If you "re-invent" your marketing from the ground up, you could re-invent your way into the poor house.

The business battlefield is littered with the corpses created by consultants who go into a business and "change everything."

Every now and then a radical shift in someone's business hits - and hits big. Unfortunately, when we hear those stories we erroneously think "that's the way it's done."

But it's like people who make quick dividends in the stock market, or win the lottery. It sounds great, but what are the odds?

To make it worse, radical shifts in your business or in your marketing are painful.

So, what are we saying?

We slug it out through the painful changes in our business that the "experts" tell us are necessary for rapid growth and those very same changes actually end up killing off the business?

Sounds almost like a sick joke, and that is in fact the reality.

But here's the really good news.

The right changes - the healthy changes - don't take painful struggle.

What it takes is knowing what small gradual changes to make, how to change them, and getting on a clear steady plan to make them.

It's not rocket science, and it's not heavy weight lifting.

It's more like a simple pleasant bike ride through the woods.

There is a bit of effort there, but you're on a clear and pleasant path - knowing exactly where the road is taking you.

The only difference is, your "destination" is a booming healthy business.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBacks (0)

As you'll recall from our post on the 11th, I said we will release a new Simpleology course very soon. Tomorrow, in fact.

Well, that's not exactly true ...

Yes, there is a new course there - two new courses actually - but we are not planning to release them to the general public at this point.

Instead, we are going to give access to them only to a select few people who choose to allow me to take their businesses on a 1 year journey (called "Word of Mouth Transformation!"). Those people will "self-select" on the 18th of September at 8PM EST.

Will that be you?

You'll find out in a minute.

First, let's talk about what this little journey is - and what it isn't.

"So, is this some kind of 'coaching program?"

Goodness no. Here's why.

Coaching can help, but there's a problem ...

Unless you get direct access to a real - truly qualified - coach yourself, you're not really getting coaching.

Heck, I've seen people charge clients $8,000 for a year of coaching only to find that the clients call in for their coaching session and the coach pushes the "play" button on a recording.

Yikes.

Sorry, that ain't coaching. It's training.

(And usually sub-standard training at that, unfortunately. Few companies take the time to perfect step-by-step [and fun!] training systems like we build at Simpleology. It costs a lot more to do what we do, but after reading this series I'm sure you're beginning to understand why we take the effort.)

Oh, here's another one you may have seen ...

You buy coaching and you do, in fact, get a real live coach.

But ...

Your coach ends up being an unqualified kid who really doesn't know what he's doing. Such a coach could really wreak havoc on your business by sending you careening down the wrong path.

Simpleology could have cashed in on the coaching business a long time ago, but we chose not to. Quality and value are more important to us.

The fact is, someone who really knows how to build a multi-million dollar business simply can't afford to spend time coaching you personally, unless you're willing to pay them outrageous sums.

(I used to ask $2,000 an hour for phone consultations myself, but I don't even do that anymore because my time is worth more than that.)

Think about it - if someone could build million dollar businesses, why would they charge you $8,000-$20,000 to train you personally for a year?

"Error. Does not compute."

That's why the coaching is usually performed by recording, or by someone under-qualified. It's the only way to make the economic model work.

I'm sure there are some programs out there that are pretty good, but unfortunately most of the ones I've seen are as described above.

Adrian!!

The next best thing to working directly with a live qualified coach is a "vicarious" experience.

That is, the chance to watch someone else's transformation.

We all remember watching Rocky go through his transformation.

Rocky started out as a "bum" nobody believed in. Everyone thought he was a joke.

And not just a joke - but a crazy self-deluded joke.

(Heck anyone trying to start up a million-dollar business while everyone around them is slugging away at a lousy day job knows how that feels. People can sure try to "bring you down" to their level sometimes when they see you launching into the stratosphere, huh? Anyway, I guess you have to choose to either spend your time entertaining their doubt or spend it building your empire ... )

But then "Mick" believed in him and took him through a transformation - all the way to the battle for the Heavyweight Championship of the World.

I don't know of anyone who wasn't crying when they saw him, faced beat up and dazed, calling out for "Adrian! Adrian!!!"

Watching Rocky is a "Transformational Experience." We watch it and our spirit is strengthened. We walk away with just a little more belief in ourselves.

That kind of experience changes lives.

But there is a little something lacking ...

It's not quite complete.

A transformation of spirit without a direction and a clear plan might bring you happiness for a while, but if that happiness is not reinforced by real change in the real world, it is always short lived.

You can trick your brain for a while, but not for long. You snap out of the spell and end up asking ...

"Someone Just Flippin' Show Me What To Do!"

What if, though, you combine a transformation of spirit with a plan?

Imagine instead of just watching Rocky and getting the elation of the feel good experience, you watch it along with a step-by-step plan to transform yourself as well?

What if you were able to peek inside the gym and see the exact training routines, the exact little "tweaks" Mick taught him? (The tweaks that only come from having worked with champions for years.)

What if you were *actually* transforming as he did in real time?

What then?

Keep reading ...

Posted by Mark Joyner at 5:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

(If you haven't read Parts 1, 2, and 3, scroll down and read them now. In fact, you really need to start with the post "What is the Single Most Powerful Force in Marketing?")

In the last lesson, you learned about a way to measure Word of Mouth.

Now I'll show you why it almost doesn't matter.

First, here are some facts:

1. According to the U.S. Department of Labor 50% of All Business Startups Fail in the First 2 Years

2. For "MLM" companies, that figure jumps to 90-96% (depending on who you ask - MLM expert Richard Poe says 95%)

Hmmm ...

Isn't MLM all about leveraging Word of Mouth?

If Word of Mouth is so great, then why do 95% of these so-called "MLM" companies fail?

It has to do with the difference between what I call "Incentivized Word of Mouth" and "Inspired Word of Mouth."

(Not to be confused, by the way, with the excellent "Inspired Marketing" concepts by Joe Vitale and Craig Perrine coming soon ...)

MLM, affiliate marketing, bribed tell-a-friend forms, and the like are all "incentivized."

That's people telling people for the promise of some reward.

"Tell your friends about our new widget and we'll give you a shiny trinket for every one who buys."

"Inspired Word of Mouth" comes from a customer's spontaneous desire to tell someone about the product.

That's people telling people because they love the product so much they want others to know.

Incentivized Word of Mouth can, and should, be at least a part of our marketing arsenal.

Affiliate marketing, tell-a-friend forms (if intelligently used), contests ...

These are all great ways to give your business a boost.

The statistics above, however, would indicate that making it the centerpiece of your marketing plan is problematic.

That is, if the word "problematic" does justice to the staggering 95% failure rate of MLMs.

The trouble with Incentivized Word of Mouth is that the recipient knows what's going on.

He knows you're only telling him because of the bribe.

There are varying degrees of this, but to illustrate the worst of it, think back to a time when you were pitched on an MLM.

Someone invites you to a "friendly dinner" and suddenly you discover you're being sold something.

Ewwww.

Any mystery as to why most of these companies have to pack up and leave town?

(No offense meant to anyone here - I used to think it was the best thing since sliced bread - and even owned a few MLM companies. Since then I've wised up considerably.)

Contrast this with Inspired Word of Mouth ....

The conversations are natural.

They're not forced.

Because the recommendation is genuine, you want to hear it.

Not only do you want to hear it, but the message is received so powerfully that it can bypass all skepticism - and almost all other parts of the sales process - and send people right to the order.

OK, so is Inspired Word of Mouth something that a company can control?

It absolutely is, and that's what we'll talk about in the next few posts.

Posted by Mark Joyner at 5:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBacks (0)

(If you haven't read Parts 1and 2, scroll down and read them now. In fact, you really need to start with the post "What is the Single Most Powerful Force in Marketing?")

So far we've learned that Word of Mouth is in fact the most powerful force in marketing.

We've also learned that true Word of Mouth doesn't come from viral gimmicks, but from "something else."

We'll be learning what that "something else" is shortly. First, let's talk about what I call the C-Rate (short for "Copulation Rate").

This might get a bit heady, so read it 2 or 3 times until it sinks in. It's worth it.

Here we go ...

The C-Rate is the rate at which a Word of Mouth "virus" generates new "infectees."

A C-Rate of 1 would mean that 100 people "in" would generate 100 out.

Or 100 customers generate 100 new customers.

A C-Rate of 0.5 would generate half as much.

That is, 100 customers would generate 50 new customers.

Now, it's important to note that this figure is meaningless unless it is measured over time.

So, what we really need to talk about are 10 day C-Rates, 20 day C-Rates, and so on ...

Let's imagine a 10 day C-Rate of 1.1.

100 customers in, and 10 days later, they render 110 new customers.

Not bad at all.

In fact, any C-Rate over 1 is phenomenal and is something rarely achieved.

1.1 is astounding.

But when you get into rates like 1.3 and above, that's when you get into serious "Tipping Point" territory.

Here are two screen shots from my #1 best-selling book The Irresistible Offer (Wiley 2005) that illustrate this point.

Now, see how crazy it gets around 1.31?

But actually, 1.1 is pretty crazy, too.

See, at Day 10 - those are 10,100 new customers that came in passively.

None of the gimmicky viral marketing tools can generate anything close to these types of results.

Most companies have a C-Rate of 0.001 or maybe slightly better.

But here's the reality no one talks about: anything above zero is actually "good."

When you get into the 1+ range your company is growing and growing at a steady rate. The higher over 1 you are, the more rapidly you grow.

But what if you're at say ... 0.5?

Is that a failure?

Not by a long shot.

If you have a C-Rate of 0.5 it means that your advertising goes that much further. (Further than you think - do the math and you'll see that 10 days later it's 50 more customers, then at 20 days another 25, and at 30 days another 12.5, and so on ....)

Imagine you start an advertising