Dragging your butt?

Every single entrepreneur I know goes through it.  Every single person in a career goes through it.

That awful feeling of complete burn out.

Having been there and collected the t-shirt (more like a collection of them), I can feel your pain.

Actually, my burnout went beyond just that and led me into a multi-year bout of depression.  Never told you that before.  I spent far too long locked up in my office, avoiding people, being the recluse I am good at being…

…and it did me NO GOOD at all.

Interesting thing is, I have spoken to a LOT of entrepreneurs who let burn out lead to depression… and it is an awful thing to go through.

So, in honor of anti-burnout day (yup, just made that up)… here are a couple things I would recommend you do to fix it.

* Shake things up…in a BIG way.  Book a day without meetings and just call people you haven’t spoke to in a long time.  Long lost friends, clients, even leads you have that haven’t been followed up with properly.

* Go do something fun.  If you have children, go to a kids movie, or to the zoo, or to a carnival, or just out for a beautiful walk and picnic.  Being around the young ones is very refreshing and reinvigorating.

* Watch and play with some dogs.  Those fur balls are MASTERS at showing you how to live life to its fullest.  Their unbridled enthusiasm just for a little attention is contagious!  As you may know, I am doing some fun things in the pet business right now and absolutely love it!  If you watch to find out more about what I am doing – maybe even build yourself a business alongside me in the pet business, this video will give you an overview of what I am up to.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xCoT4FI2aw

* Have some FUN with your marketing.  Create some new wild and wacky campaigns.  Go out to the grocery store and pick up some National Enquirers, maybe a Cosmo or two.  Look at the headlines, read the stories… and spice up your marketing some.  Your clients and prospects will love you for it.

* GET OUTSIDE.  Nothing beats the blues better than some sunshine and exercise. I am out twice a day for 30-45 minute per time walking the dog at the dog park.  I do my martial arts 3 to 4 times a week.  I eat good and look after myself.  If you don’t now, start.  You and I aren’t getting any younger, so make the most out of every single day you have.

When the burnout blues grab hold of you, it’s in your court to beat them back.

Massive change and activity will do it every time.

So get busy will ya :O)?

Have a great day.

Troy

(http://www.prrecordgazette.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3557146)

Business owners learn how to write their story as a form of marketing in free workshop last week

By Erin Steele, Record-Gazette

Posted 1 day ago

About 20 Peace Country small business owners received instructions last week on how to draw-in customers through storytelling.

The workshop, ‘Writing for Online Business’ was free for ThinkLocalMarket.com merchants as part of the merchant training offered by the site, and was co-ordinated by the Horizon Learning Centre.

Troy White, a small business owner and copywriter from Calgary was the instructor for the day.

“I love using stories in marketing. It is too much sales, not enough stories,” he told the Record-Gazette outside the Northern Lakes College classroom during a break in the early hours of the workshop.

“Every entrepreneur sits on stories, they just don’t know it.”

Even if it begins as just an idea, White’s job that day was to help those in attendance transform that into something their clients would want to tell their friends and family. An example of this is White’s twin 11-year-old girls who, over the years, he has used to compare to the growth of his business.

“They have to learn to crawl before they walk; Have fun in business have fun in life,” he cited as two examples of the parallel.

If the merchants at the workshop leave with a new or renewed ability to share their stories through marketing, White will be satisfied.

“I hope they come out of here feeling more confident sharing stories,” he said.

Peace Riverite Melissa Earle knows she has stories to tell inside of her – it is the drawing them out that thus far has proven difficult.

“That’s what I’m learning – how to say it,” she said.

“Fear keeps us from saying anything. There’s so much to say. If I don’t say it, you’re not going to hear what is inside.”

Brad Rabiey, ThinkLocalMarket.com co-ordinator explained to the Record-Gazette that the workshop is part of the e-commerce directive to help its’ entrepreneurs grow their businesses.

“It’s turning your words into wealth,” he said.

Ultimately it can buff-up the client base which would help both the merchant and ThinkLocalMarket.com.

erin.steele@sunmedia.ca

I have been lately.

Craziness at its finest…

But it pains me to admit something.

The most therapeutic thing I have done over the past 5 months, I have been slacking on.

Writing.

Daily.

Nothing has proven itself to be more beneficial to my business, my client’s businesses, and my head-space.

VERY, very therapeutic.

Yet I let busy-ness get in the way.

Battling my way back now.

What about you?

When you find a ritual that brings you success, do you ever struggle keeping that ritual going?

Much like my writing, your ritual may be writing, or blogging, or videos, or phone calls.

Are you slacking on them?

Here is a quick and easy solution.

It works best if you use Gmail.  But there are ways you can set it up in any of your mail systems.  If you use Gmail – get this plugin http://www.boomeranggmail.com – (not an affiliate link) – it is pure brilliance!  What it does is allows you to set reminder emails to yourself at whatever frequency you want. Or you can “Boomerang” an email that comes to you for a later date (not urgent today, but may be in a week – Boomerang it to email you again in a week).  There are so many ways to use this wonderful little tool, I can’t even begin.

Once you have Boomerang setup – schedule an automated reminder to come to you every 14 days.  In it describe whatever your goal is.  Want to write daily? Set it up in Boomerang to remind you daily. Want to make more phone calls? Reminder yourself daily.

It actually helps you hold yourself accountable.

If you are constantly being reminded to do something, chances are you will.

It is a beautiful thing and I hope you give it a go.

I have and love it.

Have a great day.

Troy

This is not a rant about politics, so hang on there.

This is a rant about you, about your marketing, and most importantly about your clients and prospects.

Are YOU coming across like a politician to them?

That in-your-face annoying presence that keep pestering them…

…or maybe its the promises of grandiose save-the-world miracle solutions you, and only you, have up your sleeve.

I detest politicians… most of them are full of hot air and broken promises.

So, at times like this, I cringe every time I see what they are allowed to get away with.

They can say whatever they want without prosecution.

They can place advertisements anywhere and everywhere they want without fear of legal action.

They can phone you and show up on your door step unannounced without care for you or what you are doing.

They are a royal pain in the ass and can get away with it.

Pitch, pitch, pitch.

No real value delivered.

DON’T BE A POLITICAL POSER!

You don’t get to break the laws like they do.

And your clients and prospects WILL shut you down quickly… politicians aren’t so easy.

You must deliver real value to your clients. Articles, videos, reports, and yes, products or services for sale.

But if you blatantly promise something and deliver another, they can ask for a refund.

…we can’t do that with politicians.

Your prospects can.

What have YOU done in the past week, month or year to deliver value to your prospects?

I would like to think after 120 months (10 years!) of writing consistent articles, reports, and videos for my subscribers, I have added some value to their lives.

I know many of them that never even bought from me, but used the tips delivered in my newsletters to make millions.

One guy quietly went about reading my stuff, and applying it (the real secret to success).

He wrote me an email saying how I helped him build a company with 100 employees, which he turned around and sold for a tidy bundle.

…I had never heard from him before, nor had he bought from me before (I do accept unannounced gifts thought Saddleback Leather http://www.sbackleather.com is always welcome, or cash works too :O) – if you are still reading there Neil).

That is value I can be proud of.

And I want to push you to think about the value you add to your market.

Make it big.

Then make it bigger.

Best of all, deliver on your promises.

And put an END to political posers.

Have a great day!

Troy

PS: Nothing for sale – but just a reminder of the truly exciting new business venture I am doing in the dog market. If you LOVE DOGS… and MONEY… this is for you!

Fill out this form and it will just show you are interested in learning more.

Dog Lovers Who Like Making Money

No catch, hook, or obligation.

Woof.

Uncooked frozen raw meat.

His favorite.

Granted, he is part-Husky and his sharp teeth can gnaw through some pretty tough dinners without a problem.

Magpies are his enemy.

They like to steal his leftovers from the yard.

…and they like to pester him to the point of insanity.

Magpies are pretty damned smart, if you ask me. In the big old world of birds, these guys seem to have gotten some pretty good bird-brains.

They are good planners.

They are strategists.

They know that pure persistence is usually enough to win the war.

Last night there were 3 of them scoping a chunk of steak in the yard. Casino was guarding it… but as soon as he turned his back to chase one Magpie away, the other 2 would scoot in and start pecking at his steak.

The game would continue.

And the braver they would get.

Ultimately they wore him out and he sat off to the side watching them peck at the remains.

Isn’t this what marketing is all about?

…not about pestering people till they wear out and buy.

Rather, it’s all about trying new angles.
Testing new strategies.
Seeing what gets people to stand up and take note.

If the Magpies were like your typical entrepreneur, they would try one marketing idea like postcards or direct… try it once only… and declare “direct mail doesn’t work!”. Or they would run some Google ads to a campaign that never had proper keyword strategy or landing page design done. They whine and moan about how “Google Ads are a rip off”.

If you ever want to succeed in business and marketing, you need to drill in the Magpie mentality.

Persistence, combined with multi-point strategies, and you will ultimately find a winning way to get to the gold.

Giving up gets you no where.

Keep on keeping on!

“Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.” — Unknown

Have a great day.

Troy

PS: If you are a dog lover too… you TRULY need to get in on this. Something massive is a brewing in my world with an idea and strategy that happened about a month ago now. Response has been exceptional… and I will be doing a free webinar this week to discuss what it is and how you can take part.

Discover the $60 billion dollar market that is ripe for marketers and passionate entrepreneurs like you and I.

Fill out this form and it will just show you are interested in learning more.

Dog Lovers Who Like Making Money

It just shows you are interested in finding out more, no other
catch, hook, or gimmick.


Details on the upcoming webinar will come to you soon. (the call will be Thursday)

I have alluded to some of the massive change I am going through this year.

In my personal life.

In my health.

In my business focus.

…and does it EVER feel good.

Change is good.

At least positive change.

But there is much to be said for that highly uncomfortable change too.

The kind that makes you wince because you just know it’s going to hurt… but you know it must be done.

Ya, that kind.

The kind that makes you flinch.

There is a FANTASTIC free book you can grab called “The Flinch”

Grab it here…

http://www.amazon.com/The-Flinch-ebook/dp/B0062Q7S3S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332427738&sr=8-1

The author, Julien Smith,  shares numerous examples of how to flinch more than ever, why you MUST start flinching more, and what to do when those around you try and hold you down while prying your eyeballs open so you CAN’T flinch anymore.

They do.

And you must fight them with all your might.

This has been a flinch-filled 3 months for me.

…I feel like I have a medical condition with all the flinching I have been doing!

But it was my motto for the year for massive change… and I am flinching more than enough to make it all happen quickly.

Get the book.

Just do it – read it – and make it your motto for the year.

You have 9 months left this year to make it your best ever…

…and if you aren’t flinching at LEAST 2 or 3 times a day… you will be highly disappointed at what changes you made this year.

Join me in the Flinch club.

Ok?

Troy

PS: One of the major flinches I am experiencing daily is with the business I am rolling out in the dog market.

It is something new to me.

It is exciting…

…and uncomfortable.

And I am loving it.

If you love animals and want to see what I am doing, and how you can work with me on this massive project ($56 BILLION DOLLAR market in Canada and the US alone)…

Then join me on the webinar tonight!

Fill out this form and I will let you know the details for the webinar at 7:30 MST tonight.

Dog Lovers Who Like Making Money

Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them, is a little known book by JK Rowling.

Get it…

…or at least take the lessons I learned to heart and use them in your business.

This is not the actual mainstream book series like Harry Potter.

This is a niche book for true fans and devoted followers.

From the back:

“A copy of Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them” resides in almost every wizarding household in the country. Now Muggles too have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to Comic Relief, which means that the pounds and Galleons you exchange for it will do magic beyond the powers of any wizard. If you feel that this is insufficient reason to part with your money, I can only hope that passing wizards feel more charitable if they see you being attacked by a Maticore.”

Brilliant!

Not only is a great bit of teaser copy to the magical world that lays inside these pages, it leaves a harder close than normal books would – I SURE don’t want to get attacked by a Maticore, I don’t know about you!

The Manticore is a “highly dangerous Greek beast with the head of a man, the body of a lion and the tail  of a scorpion.  As dangerous as the Chimeraea, and as rare, the Manticore is reputed to croon softly as it devours its prey. Manticore skin repels almost all charms and the sting causes instant death.”

So what does this have to do with you and your marketing?

First, you need to realize that your greatest fans and customers LOVE new products that help them understand and use more effectively your other products.

JK Rowling has one of the best imaginations in the world, and her ability to put that into a form millions could read is amazing.

But she gets marketing.

She KNOWS that there is a segment of her customer base that would love to know more about the creatures in the books and movies that don’t even really exist (well, they do in the mind anyhow).

88 pages of descriptions of monsters and beasts that she created.

What they eat.

What they look like.

What to be careful of.

Did I say brilliant?

Think about your client base and the questions they have about your products and services?

Anything keep on coming up in the questions you get?

Why don’t you create videos, books or articles that address the questions and give them a chance to get involved.

Or create new products that help deepen the use of the existing products they own.

If you have a client base, there are other things you should be offering to them.

Period.

But its up to you to figure out what they want ad how they want it delivered.

The second BIG lesson here is something I have been hinting at A LOT lately!

Sub-niches.

A real GOLDEN opportunity for you in this present economy is to find very specific groups of people within your client base that have common characteristics.

Maybe a percentage of them skydive.

Or read Harry Potter books.

Or own cats.

You can target JUST THOSE people in your marketing.

It makes your marketing much easier to do.

And even MORE easier for your ideal clients to notice.

It’s like the “Pet Lovers  Realtor” I have spoken about.

She gets it.

She markets in kids magazines (parents with young kids are highly likely to also have a pet).

She markets in pet magazines and newsletters on a local scale.

She markets in some of the usual places… but in a city of 5,000 realtors… she is the ONLY one calling herself the Pet Lovers Realtor and using a picture of her and her dog.

So, so much easier to stand out in all the clutter when you are calling out to a VERY specific type of person.

Do you see that?

I hope so – this is a monster opportunity to improve the results of your marketing with just a few minor tweaks in your approach.

If you didn’t notice yet, I am doing this in the Dog market right now.

This is a $56 BILLION dollar market in Canada and the US… and no one is doing sub0niche marketing like what we are talking about here.

I am woofing PUMPED about this!

I have something BIG stewing for dog lovers like you and I.

This Thursday, I am hosting a webinar that will show you a proven way to improve the health of your dog, while putting some extra cash in your pocket.

If you are interested in finding out more, just fill out this form and I will be in touch right away with the webinar details…

Dog Lovers Who Like Making Money

Person Information
First Name *
Email *

It just shows you are interested in finding out more, no other catch, hook, or gimmick.

Talk to you soon. Troy

Not exactly sure where I saw it – you may have too.

But I want you to note a couple things about this GREAT example of both marketing, and video marketing.

First the video:

Some of my personal favourite quotes:

“Blades so gentle a toddler can use them”

“Do you think your razor needs a vibrating handle, flashlight, a backscratcher, and 10 blades?

…your handsome-ass grandfather had one blade… and polio”

“Stop paying for shave-tech you don’t need.”

And of course… “our blades are f***ing great!”

What I love most about this video is that in 90 seconds they have some fun, make some fun, tell some jokes, offend some people… and sell their membership oh so good.

It’s beautiful.

It’s a 90 second video!

Now, their website: http://DollarShaveClub.com

The about us page is great:

“Like most good ideas, The Dollar Shave Club started with two guys who were pissed off about something and decided to do something about it…”

A STORY!

You know how much I love using stories in marketing.

These guys tell theirs on why they started the business (many guys biggest frustration with shaving is the rip off prices they charge for the blades).

So they create their own line of simpler, less-expensive blades…

…and add in a membership piece to it.

F***ing Brilliant!

These guys will kick some serious butt with this.

2 million views of their video in just a few weeks… ya, they’ll do ok.

Everything about the message, the story, and the website are SIMPLE.

Something we all need to aspire to and emulate.

Spend some time on this site and video today. Then think about how you could simplify your site and message, maybe have some fun along the way while putting more moola in your pocket.

Have a great day.

Troy

PS: Another fantastic thing you should be doing today is signing up for this free webinar I am doing with Tom Poland on March 20th.  Tom is a master at generating referral business… and he is sharing his best strategies with you on this call.

How To Get Ten Successful Referrals Every Month
(And even when you’re on holiday or asleep)
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/177974689

Make sure you sign up and show up – Tom has some fantastic information for building your business.

It has been a challenging 3 years out there.

Business changed in a big way.

Buyers changed how they made their buying decisions.

People gave up on their dreams or had them yanked out from under them.

Some of us stayed healthy… others didn’t fair so well.

What I want you to think about though is the question I asked earlier:

Are you an optimist, pessimist… or opportunist?

If you are always thinking about the next devastating failure about to come your way… you’re a pessimist.

It you are always wearing rose-colored glasses no matter what… you’re an optimist.

But if you are always holding your head high while moving forward at breakneck speed… but are constantly scanning the horizon for potential road bumps… and BIG opportunities… you’re an opportunist.

That’s what I am.

But I sometimes miss opportunities that had presented themselves.

Recently one of these things slapped me upside the head on how STUPID I was to miss it.

But everyone else had missed it too.

So I am ALL OVER THAT.

Massive action has taken place.

And in just a short week, a website has been launched, 10 videos produced, articles written, lead generation has begun… and sales are being made.

The key?

This is NOT something new.

It is a product I had at my disposal for 18 months.

I just missed a massive opportunity on WHERE and to whom I should be selling it.

A simple shift in thinking…

…but the potential is truly mind-boggling.

No one else saw it… or, more accurately… no one else capitalized on it to its fullest potential.

My turn :O)

I am willing to bet you too have this right under your nose.

A Massive opportunity sitting waiting for you.

Look for the opportunities at hand – they are always out there.Stop getting caught up in the headlines, the negative news, the doom and gloom.

Look right there under your own nose.

Consider WHO you are now selling to.

Think about EXACTLY what type of person they are.

Their hobbies.

Their passions.

Their commonalities amongst one another.

Somewhere in there is a unique niche of buyers.

A group of them that are buying from that all love skydiving, or scuba diving, or martial arts.

Then think about how you can TARGET just those people in your marketing.

How you can laser-focus your marketing on them and their unique similarities.

Then get BUSY and do it.

You can get a boatload of stuff done when the lightbulb goes off and you commit to gettin-r-done.

I just shared what I did in a week (on top of everything else I do for myself and for clients).

More millionaires are created in recessions and depressions than in other times

Go for the BIG opportunities.. now is the time for YOU to play big or go home.

Find that niche.

Then market the crap out of it!!

I guarantee it will change how you market yourself and how much money you bring in.

Have a great day.

Troy

PS: The 4 hours with Ted Nicholas, or the 2 hours with Bob Burg
on the Wild West Wealth bundle can seriously help you fix your
pessimism or blind optimism… as well as your leads and sales aches.

https://responsivedm.infusionsoft.com/saleform/nathnisf

Those ALONE are worth 10 TIMES the price of this bundle
(it’s only $29!).  Ted has sold $7 BILLION dollars worth of
goods and services using the techniques he shares.

Ya think there might be something… just a weeee bit…
you can learn from him?

Investing $29 into your business aches and pains is nothing!

Imagine what intensive care will cost you!!
https://responsivedm.infusionsoft.com/saleform/nathnisf

She was in serious pain with an earache and I thought I was going to the walk-in clinic (4.6 hour wait according to the online updates) or the emergency room (2.5 hour wait).

First though, I tried what any parent would try.

Ear drops.
Hot cloth.
Aspirin.

Didn’t work.

She was in bad, bad pain.

So I phoned Health Link (great service we have here where you phone a number and talk to a Registered Nurse – they proceed to diagnose and recommend your next steps before telling you to go to the hospital).

She told me about chewing some food and then elevating the head instead of lying down.

That seemed to calm her down enough to get her to a state of total exhaustion and she went to sleep.

…It made me think of you.

What’s your earache in your business?

There must be one.

Every business has it.

That nagging pain you know you need to have looked at.

…if you don’t… it only gets MUCH, MUCH worse.

Then comes the Emergency room.

And in business… that is never good.

NOW is the time to start thinking about getting your ear ache looked at and fixed.

Not when it’s too late.

Is it your lead generation?

Lead conversion?

Customer service?

Product quality or delivery?

Cash flow?

Maybe its more than one.

Hopefully not all.
(that’s a serious call for intensive care if it is).

Don’t wait… please.

Get it looked at and fixed now!

Let me know if I can help.

Troy

PS: The 4 hours with Ted Nicholas, or the 2 hours with Bob Burg
on the Wild West Wealth bundle can seriously help you fix your
leads and sales aches.

https://responsivedm.infusionsoft.com/saleform/nathnisf

Those ALONE are worth 10 TIMES the price of this bundle
(it’s only $29!).  Ted has sold $7 BILLION dollars worth of
goods and services using the techniques he shares.

Ya think there might be something… just a weeee bit…
you can learn from him?

Investing $29 into your business aches and pains is nothing!

Imagine what intensive care will cost you!!