The other day I read a newspaper article that challenged everything we’d ever thought about using praise to motivate people.
It came from research done at Stanford University, California, which found that students who are repeatedly praised become risk-averse, make less effort, and are less motivated.
According to Professor Carole Dweck, praising a student too often fails to help them for three reasons. Read More »
I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later. Last week, in no uncertain terms, my daughter, Emily, told me that I was cut off. Done. Finished…
…No longer would I be permitted to borrow her iPod when I went to the gym.
First of all, according to Emily, I was “getting it all sweaty.” Second, and much less disgustingly, I was “running down the battery life,” a phenomenon which was apparently wreaking havoc on her finely tuned listening schedule. And while I considered pointing out that she had been running down my battery life for the previous 12 years, I had to admit that Emily had a point. Read More »
1. Insert a box that they can tick (if online) or checkmark (if offline) and after that use the word “Yes”.
2. Restate the big benefits. Don’t over do it, but remind them of what they stand to gain by taking action.
3. Summarize the package components, sizes, colors, warranty, etc., they’re getting. Read More »
This is one of those no-brainer tips that sounds so obvious, yet few remember it.
If you want to double the number of your media placements, pitch not only stories but photos and graphics. With newspaper and magazine space at a premium, you sometimes stand a far greater chance of getting a photo published than a lengthy article.
“Especially with the digital cameras that are available today, making photos available to editors automatically DOUBLES the space you receive,” Read More »
Are your sales people ready for the coming year? Based on my personal observation as well as conversations with sales people from all over the country, the answer is no. Most sales people are not ready for what’s ahead of them this year. And for the most part, it’s not their fault.
What is the key to keeping your sales team motivated? Read More »
As a MarketingForSuccess.com subscriber, you already know that headlines are the key to successful sales letters, web copy and email copy.
But if you’re like many business owners or marketers, you probably struggle when trying to come up with great headlines. The truth is, so do most copywriters.
That’s why good copywriters spend around 80% of their time on a promotion writing the headline. To give you an idea of what that means, I’ll spend entire days working on the headline for a sales letter or website. In some cases, I write hundreds of drafts. I test every possible variation until I find the one that “clicks”. Read More »
Let’s be honest. Even prolific writers have bad days when they can’t seem to hit their stride. Not to mention business owners who avoid writing unless they have to!
Sometimes the words just flow. (Isn’t that the best?) And other times… well.
So what do you do when writing feels like pulling a 10-ton truck? How do you prime the pen and get the ink flowing?
Here are three ideas that work like a charm… Read More »
I just previewed Charlie Cook’s latest free report, ‘The New Profit Rules’ and I’d like to suggest another rule.
READ THIS BOOK as soon as you can get your hands on it.
‘The New Profit Rules’ is what marketing is all about NOW. And it’s free! Read More »
I’m not talking about dollars and cents here… I’m talking about the credit your customers have with your business mentally and emotionally. Consumer loyalty. What is your “credit level” with your customers?
Start out by asking yourself a few questions:
1) How do your customers view YOUR business and what you offer THEM? Read More »
I hate it when my I come home and my wife has bad news for me about our home. The house we own is great in most ways but somehow every few years the roof starts leaking and the water finds its way in through one of the ceiling fixtures in our upstairs hall or laundry room.
And while I wish these leaks would fix themselves, I know that the longer I wait to take care of them the more damage to the ceiling, walls and floors I’ll end up dealing with. Read More »
