I'm going to reveal something very personal that contains an important lesson...a lesson most entrepreneurs need to know.
I call it the...
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Bright Shiny New Thing
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I used to chase after the 'bright, shiny new thing." This can take the form of anything in your life from new business opportunities to new relationships to something as mundane as a new car. There is no question that the seduction of the "new thing" is powerful. "New" is always exciting but only because it's new. And starting anything new is exciting. Until VERY recently, I jumped from one opportunity to the next. I would get all fired up and think "this one is IT."
But then, as I got to know more about it, I discovered it was not all cracked up to be. The lure of the new thing pulled me away from the real thing I should have been focusing my attention on. Until now, I never stuck with an opportunity long enough to work through the problems and frustrations (and there are ALWAYS problems and frustrations) to create something lasting, substainable and dare I say "beautiful?" And I do believe that business as a fulfillment of "mission" can be beautiful.
The key to success in life is to build a foundation and then build on that foundation. When there are "cracks" in the foundation, you don't tear down the building, you fix the cracks and make the building even stronger.
The thing to remember is the new business opportunity, the shiny new things, eventually aren't new anymore. It becomes the same "old thing." I was in a destructive pattern of "when the shiny new thing was as exciting or fun, jumping over to the next new thing, thinking 'ah, this is what is REALLY going to make me rich and happy.'"
That has come to an end for me. I know what I want and will work through whatever problems, issues, setbacks, frustrations and unhappy periods when the sailing isn't smooth to "build something beautiful." (Your comments are very welcome and I do read each and every one of them. www.davedee.com/blog)
Kick butt, make mucho "dee-nero!"
~Dave Dee
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Back stage with Bryan Adams...Loyalty & Passion
What a super fun night last night!
I went to the Jimmy Kimmel Show last night with Alexis. One of her clients is the producer for the show and we got VIP treatment. We had the best seats in the studio and then got backstage passes for a mini-Bryan Adams concert.
There are two major observations I made from this experience:
First is how loyal Jimmy Kimmel is to his long time friends and family. Many of the people who work on the show are people he has known for a long time. People who, more than likely, would never be in show business.
I think that loyalty in business is extremely important...even with vendors. Let's say you are just starting out and one of your vendors really helps you along. Then you grow and grow and discover that another vendor can do something for a few cents cheaper. I know that some business people have the mantra "business is business" and would switch in a heartbeat. I say be loyal as long as it doesn't border on the ridiculous.
For example, when I started my information marketing business, I worked with a little mom and pop audiotape (yes, tapes) duplication business and they did great work for me at very good prices and really did care about me. But, in time, my needs grew. I tried to help that vendor grow with me but they just couldn't, so, reluctantly I switched. It was not an easy decision but one that had to be made.
Call me "soft" but business is not just business. Business is made up of real people and relationships. Being loyal to those who are loyal to you is important for your business and your life.
The second observation has to do with passion. Something that my new business, "How To Turn Your Passion Into Profits" is all about.
Although I am not a huge Bryan Adams fan, I really did enjoy his show because he was clearly LOVING what he was doing. You could tell he was really having fun and that he was really passionate about his work.
Even after all of these years of singing the same songs, night after night, he still had the fire in his belly about performing.
How about you? Do you love what you do for a living? Really love it? If your answer is "yes", then congratulations. If not, then what are you waiting for? Make a plan and make it happen. Start today.
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
Dave Dee
I went to the Jimmy Kimmel Show last night with Alexis. One of her clients is the producer for the show and we got VIP treatment. We had the best seats in the studio and then got backstage passes for a mini-Bryan Adams concert.
There are two major observations I made from this experience:
First is how loyal Jimmy Kimmel is to his long time friends and family. Many of the people who work on the show are people he has known for a long time. People who, more than likely, would never be in show business.
I think that loyalty in business is extremely important...even with vendors. Let's say you are just starting out and one of your vendors really helps you along. Then you grow and grow and discover that another vendor can do something for a few cents cheaper. I know that some business people have the mantra "business is business" and would switch in a heartbeat. I say be loyal as long as it doesn't border on the ridiculous.
For example, when I started my information marketing business, I worked with a little mom and pop audiotape (yes, tapes) duplication business and they did great work for me at very good prices and really did care about me. But, in time, my needs grew. I tried to help that vendor grow with me but they just couldn't, so, reluctantly I switched. It was not an easy decision but one that had to be made.
Call me "soft" but business is not just business. Business is made up of real people and relationships. Being loyal to those who are loyal to you is important for your business and your life.
The second observation has to do with passion. Something that my new business, "How To Turn Your Passion Into Profits" is all about.
Although I am not a huge Bryan Adams fan, I really did enjoy his show because he was clearly LOVING what he was doing. You could tell he was really having fun and that he was really passionate about his work.
Even after all of these years of singing the same songs, night after night, he still had the fire in his belly about performing.
How about you? Do you love what you do for a living? Really love it? If your answer is "yes", then congratulations. If not, then what are you waiting for? Make a plan and make it happen. Start today.
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
Dave Dee
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
How to write emails that get read
Goodbye Richmond, hello Atlanta and then Los Angeles!
As the song says, "I'm leaving on a jet plane" in just a few hours for Los Angeles (with a stop over in Atlanta). Tonight I'm going to the Jimmy Kimmel show and then on Thursday to Vegas for a mini, four day vacation.
Okay, mi amigo, I just gave you the secret to writing emails that get read. Make your emails personal and tell stories.
Lesson over.
The huge mistake people make when writing business oriented emails is that they don't let their real personality shine through and don't give their readers a glimpse of who they really are and into their lives.
Your customers want to know about you, they really do. They would rather read an entertaining story about something that happened in your life than they would about a technical aspect of your product or service.
When you let your customers really know you...warts and all...they will like you (unless you are unlikeable!) and people buy from people they like. (Did you know that over 80% of all sales are based on the customer liking and trusting the salesperson?)
Some people have criticized me for talking "too much" about my girlfriend, for being a little too cocky and for using "colorful" language at times in my emails. But that is me. My girlfriend is an important part of my life, at times I am a little cocky (conversely, I am also self-deprecating and realize that I make a lot of bonehead moves) and, gasp, sometimes I use "salty" language. What you read is what you get. I'm a real guy and my emails reflect that.
Telling stories is also the key to getting people to read your emails. People love stories and pay more attention when someone says, "Let me tell you a story." Heck, the best selling book of all time, the Bible, is a huge collection of stories.
The more stories I tell about my life, the higher readership and better response I get. It'll be the same for you.
Now, so much the better when you can tie in your story with a message that directly impacts your reader. If you go through and read my blog posts, you'll see how my stories all tend to make a marketing, sales, business or, in some cases, personal development point.
Also, when writing your emails, do not write them as if you are writing to your entire list. Email subscriber lists don't read emails, real life human beings do. Show your subscribers respect by writing as if you are writing just to them. (When I write these emails, I really do feel like I'm talking directly to you.)
In my soon to be officially released, "How To Turn Your Passion Into Profits" System, I go over writing killer emails in great depth but I just gave you a powerful lesson that will really boost your readership and response.
Okay, gotta get in the shower and head to the airport. Sunny California (and Alexis) here I come!
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
Dave Dee
P.S. For less than one hundred bucks, you can get a complete marketing "department" that gives you copyright free ads, sales letters, emails, referral letters and more - that'll increase your profits and put more money in your pocket regardless of who is elected Presidents or what the economy is doing. If you don't own, "Your Marketing Department In Box" now is time for you to make the investment in yourself and in your business. Get it now at http://www.davedee.com/box
As the song says, "I'm leaving on a jet plane" in just a few hours for Los Angeles (with a stop over in Atlanta). Tonight I'm going to the Jimmy Kimmel show and then on Thursday to Vegas for a mini, four day vacation.
Okay, mi amigo, I just gave you the secret to writing emails that get read. Make your emails personal and tell stories.
Lesson over.
The huge mistake people make when writing business oriented emails is that they don't let their real personality shine through and don't give their readers a glimpse of who they really are and into their lives.
Your customers want to know about you, they really do. They would rather read an entertaining story about something that happened in your life than they would about a technical aspect of your product or service.
When you let your customers really know you...warts and all...they will like you (unless you are unlikeable!) and people buy from people they like. (Did you know that over 80% of all sales are based on the customer liking and trusting the salesperson?)
Some people have criticized me for talking "too much" about my girlfriend, for being a little too cocky and for using "colorful" language at times in my emails. But that is me. My girlfriend is an important part of my life, at times I am a little cocky (conversely, I am also self-deprecating and realize that I make a lot of bonehead moves) and, gasp, sometimes I use "salty" language. What you read is what you get. I'm a real guy and my emails reflect that.
Telling stories is also the key to getting people to read your emails. People love stories and pay more attention when someone says, "Let me tell you a story." Heck, the best selling book of all time, the Bible, is a huge collection of stories.
The more stories I tell about my life, the higher readership and better response I get. It'll be the same for you.
Now, so much the better when you can tie in your story with a message that directly impacts your reader. If you go through and read my blog posts, you'll see how my stories all tend to make a marketing, sales, business or, in some cases, personal development point.
Also, when writing your emails, do not write them as if you are writing to your entire list. Email subscriber lists don't read emails, real life human beings do. Show your subscribers respect by writing as if you are writing just to them. (When I write these emails, I really do feel like I'm talking directly to you.)
In my soon to be officially released, "How To Turn Your Passion Into Profits" System, I go over writing killer emails in great depth but I just gave you a powerful lesson that will really boost your readership and response.
Okay, gotta get in the shower and head to the airport. Sunny California (and Alexis) here I come!
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
Dave Dee
P.S. For less than one hundred bucks, you can get a complete marketing "department" that gives you copyright free ads, sales letters, emails, referral letters and more - that'll increase your profits and put more money in your pocket regardless of who is elected Presidents or what the economy is doing. If you don't own, "Your Marketing Department In Box" now is time for you to make the investment in yourself and in your business. Get it now at http://www.davedee.com/box
Monday, July 28, 2008
3 big "secrets" for better response
I'm sitting in Dr. Charley Martin's meeting room and just finished writing a killer direct mail postcard for our DentistryForDiabetics dentists. (This is a business that Dr. Martin, Dan Kennedy and I are partners.)
The postcard I wrote for July kicked butt and I write very similar postcards for Alexis' Personal Family Lawyer Program, each month.
Today, I'm going to give you two secrets for that I use to make these postcards rock 'n roll.
Secret #1: Tie your marketing piece into a current event. Typically, I pick out an event that is happening during the month. For example, my July postcard was tied into the Fourth of July. The September postcard for the Personal Family Lawyers has a back to school theme. For the doctors, it has a "get a jump start on fall" theme. Your prospects already have the current event on their minds so they will be more "in tuned" to reading your message.
Secret #2: Include a gift for response that ties in with your monthly theme. For both the lawyer and dentist campaigns, the response we want is for the prospect to make an appointment. When they come in for their appointment, they get the gift. As an example, the gift the docs are giving away is a "Fall Movie Gift Basket."
Secret #3: Include a photograph of the gift. This will boost response. I almost always have the picture of the gift on the front of the postcard.
So there you have it, mi amigo. Try these three secrets for your next marketing campaign and you'll see a nice boost in your response rate.
(As always, your comments are welcome and I really do read all of them.)
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. My pre -"check out the raw copy" sale on my new, "How To Turn Your Passion Into Profits" System ends tonight at midnight. (The web page will be taken down at midnight, EASTERN time. That's 9:00pm Pacific.)
If you haven't checked it out yet and are interested in turning your passion, hobby or knowledge into a six to seven figure a year business, please do so now:
www.astonishingbusiness.com/pip.htm
(Please remember that you'll be looking at a first draft of the letter!)
The postcard I wrote for July kicked butt and I write very similar postcards for Alexis' Personal Family Lawyer Program, each month.
Today, I'm going to give you two secrets for that I use to make these postcards rock 'n roll.
Secret #1: Tie your marketing piece into a current event. Typically, I pick out an event that is happening during the month. For example, my July postcard was tied into the Fourth of July. The September postcard for the Personal Family Lawyers has a back to school theme. For the doctors, it has a "get a jump start on fall" theme. Your prospects already have the current event on their minds so they will be more "in tuned" to reading your message.
Secret #2: Include a gift for response that ties in with your monthly theme. For both the lawyer and dentist campaigns, the response we want is for the prospect to make an appointment. When they come in for their appointment, they get the gift. As an example, the gift the docs are giving away is a "Fall Movie Gift Basket."
Secret #3: Include a photograph of the gift. This will boost response. I almost always have the picture of the gift on the front of the postcard.
So there you have it, mi amigo. Try these three secrets for your next marketing campaign and you'll see a nice boost in your response rate.
(As always, your comments are welcome and I really do read all of them.)
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. My pre -"check out the raw copy" sale on my new, "How To Turn Your Passion Into Profits" System ends tonight at midnight. (The web page will be taken down at midnight, EASTERN time. That's 9:00pm Pacific.)
If you haven't checked it out yet and are interested in turning your passion, hobby or knowledge into a six to seven figure a year business, please do so now:
www.astonishingbusiness.com/pip.htm
(Please remember that you'll be looking at a first draft of the letter!)
Friday, July 25, 2008
I'm off the Veggie Land...No, I'm not kidding!
Woo, hee, mama! I was one tired little camper last night!
Flying all over the universe wiped me out but the good news is, I don't have to fly anywhere until...Sunday! Yep, heading to Richmond Sunday afternoon and then back to LA. One thing's for sure, my life is not boring!
After I'm done writing to you, I'm taking my kids to VeggieLand. What's that you ask? No, it's not a hippie commune or a freaky California type of place (been to many of those!). It's a restaurant in the heart of Buckhead. (A trendy spot in Atlanta.)
VeggieLand has been around for years and years and serves only vegan food. (No eggs, dairy or animal products of any kind.) I was a vegan for over 17 years and this was one of my favorite spots. Now, I have moved over to the "dark side" and consume meat at an alarming rate!
We're heading back to the "land of veggie" today because, regardless of whether you are a vegan or not, the food is delicious. In fact, a large portion of the people who eat at this restaurant are not vegan or vegetarian. They go because the food tastes good. (And their deserts are insanely delicious.)
But lest you think Dave Dee's "Profit Secrets Newsletter" is turning into the next Food Network, there is are a number of marketing and business building lessons in my little tale.
The most obvious is that "niching" your business is one of the smartest things you can do. By precisely defining who your target market is, you are more likely to attract that market. Niching is counter-intuitive because, at first glance, you would think by narrowing your appeal you are going to lose business because you are appealing to less people. The truth is that by narrowing your focus, you will actually attract MORE people because those people will readily identify your business as being specifically for them.
But, niching does NOT preclude people who are not in your target market from buying from you. Note that I pointed out that a lot of VeggieLand's customers were NOT vegetarians but "regular" folks. When these people want to go out for a good vegetarian meal, what is the first place that pops into their minds?
Wouldn't you be a little bit leery of a restaurant called "Luigi's Rodriquez Lee's Gourmet Italian, Mexican, Chinese...and French Cuisine!" I know I would!
The third lesson is that regardless of whether you niche or not, you need to be delivering a quality product. A problem that I see quite often is that entrepreneurs is they are great at the marketing but can't deliver on what they promise. Yes being a master marketer is more important than being a master at what you do BUT you still must be able to deliver a top quality product or service.
Okay, the kids are getting restless. VeggieLand here we come!
Have a great weekend!
(As always, your comments are welcome and I do read each and every one of them.)
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. A little bit later today or first thing tomorrow, I'm going to do something I have never done before...give you a sneak peak at a work in progress. You'll be able to get a glimpse at the copy I'm writing for my NEW "How To Turn Your Passion Into Profits" System. The product, which is my best ever, has already been shipped to folks who were smart enough to order it in advance before there was even a sales letter.
But now, you will have the unique opportunity to get an inside look at world class copywriting, in rough draft form, and watch as it is smoothed out over time. This is a TREMENDOUS learning experience that you should take advantage of.
One very well know marketer, actually SELLS a monthly subscription where people can look at the raw copy he has written. (And this subscription is not cheap.) I'm giving you the opportunity to watch me work, for nada.
So, when you get the email with the subject line: "Dave Dee's PIP Sneak Peak" open it immediately. (Again, not sure whether this will be later today or Saturday.)
Flying all over the universe wiped me out but the good news is, I don't have to fly anywhere until...Sunday! Yep, heading to Richmond Sunday afternoon and then back to LA. One thing's for sure, my life is not boring!
After I'm done writing to you, I'm taking my kids to VeggieLand. What's that you ask? No, it's not a hippie commune or a freaky California type of place (been to many of those!). It's a restaurant in the heart of Buckhead. (A trendy spot in Atlanta.)
VeggieLand has been around for years and years and serves only vegan food. (No eggs, dairy or animal products of any kind.) I was a vegan for over 17 years and this was one of my favorite spots. Now, I have moved over to the "dark side" and consume meat at an alarming rate!
We're heading back to the "land of veggie" today because, regardless of whether you are a vegan or not, the food is delicious. In fact, a large portion of the people who eat at this restaurant are not vegan or vegetarian. They go because the food tastes good. (And their deserts are insanely delicious.)
But lest you think Dave Dee's "Profit Secrets Newsletter" is turning into the next Food Network, there is are a number of marketing and business building lessons in my little tale.
The most obvious is that "niching" your business is one of the smartest things you can do. By precisely defining who your target market is, you are more likely to attract that market. Niching is counter-intuitive because, at first glance, you would think by narrowing your appeal you are going to lose business because you are appealing to less people. The truth is that by narrowing your focus, you will actually attract MORE people because those people will readily identify your business as being specifically for them.
But, niching does NOT preclude people who are not in your target market from buying from you. Note that I pointed out that a lot of VeggieLand's customers were NOT vegetarians but "regular" folks. When these people want to go out for a good vegetarian meal, what is the first place that pops into their minds?
Wouldn't you be a little bit leery of a restaurant called "Luigi's Rodriquez Lee's Gourmet Italian, Mexican, Chinese...and French Cuisine!" I know I would!
The third lesson is that regardless of whether you niche or not, you need to be delivering a quality product. A problem that I see quite often is that entrepreneurs is they are great at the marketing but can't deliver on what they promise. Yes being a master marketer is more important than being a master at what you do BUT you still must be able to deliver a top quality product or service.
Okay, the kids are getting restless. VeggieLand here we come!
Have a great weekend!
(As always, your comments are welcome and I do read each and every one of them.)
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. A little bit later today or first thing tomorrow, I'm going to do something I have never done before...give you a sneak peak at a work in progress. You'll be able to get a glimpse at the copy I'm writing for my NEW "How To Turn Your Passion Into Profits" System. The product, which is my best ever, has already been shipped to folks who were smart enough to order it in advance before there was even a sales letter.
But now, you will have the unique opportunity to get an inside look at world class copywriting, in rough draft form, and watch as it is smoothed out over time. This is a TREMENDOUS learning experience that you should take advantage of.
One very well know marketer, actually SELLS a monthly subscription where people can look at the raw copy he has written. (And this subscription is not cheap.) I'm giving you the opportunity to watch me work, for nada.
So, when you get the email with the subject line: "Dave Dee's PIP Sneak Peak" open it immediately. (Again, not sure whether this will be later today or Saturday.)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Have you heard of this saying?
Today's message is going to be brief because I'm hopping on a plane back to Atlanta.
Have you ever heard the saying, "Pay for the best and cry only once"?
Oh, how I wish I lived by this mantra all of the time! Almost every time I try to get 'er done "on the cheap", I regret it. I don't like the outcome and I eventually end up buying the best anyway. But now I have paid more than I should have in terms of time and money.
My good friend, business partner and one of the finest dentists in the world, Dr. Charles Martin charges premium fees for his work...often ten times more than other dentists BUT he also does premium work. In fact, there are only about one hundred other dentists on the planet who can do what he does. When people say to him, "You're so expensive." He calmly tells him that he's actually very inexpensive. On paper it looks like it costs more, but in the long wrong, because the work he does is superior and the best, it ends up costing less. Guess who patients go to after a cheaper dentists does sub par work. You guessed it.
A couple days ago, I went to a preliminary hearing at the labor board with Alexis. (She is being sued by a former, disgruntled employee.) Well, Alexis hired one of best labor attorney's in Los Angeles. The guy's fee is a whopping $500 an hour but my oh my is he worth it. It was a pleasure and an education to watch a pro of his caliber work. The employee, had her mother in law, also a lawyer represent her. The contrast between the two lawyers was night in day. Quite frankly, Alexis' attorney made the other woman look foolish, amateurish, defensive and rude.
Last year, unfortunately, I hired a "cheap" copywriter (who really wasn't that cheap, by the way but in terms of world class copywriters, she was). The copy I got was so poorly done that I got a zero percent response to my house list. That has never happened before. What I should have done is hire one of the best copywriters around, namely me!
So the next time you are thinking about investing in a product or service, don't just look at the price. Ask yourself, am I buying the best I can afford? In the end, buying the best almost always is less expensive.
(As always, your comments are welcome.)
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. Speaking of copywriting...if you want to write sales copy that pulls in orders and money like a magnet, then check out this dynamite resource www.davedee.com/admagic
Have you ever heard the saying, "Pay for the best and cry only once"?
Oh, how I wish I lived by this mantra all of the time! Almost every time I try to get 'er done "on the cheap", I regret it. I don't like the outcome and I eventually end up buying the best anyway. But now I have paid more than I should have in terms of time and money.
My good friend, business partner and one of the finest dentists in the world, Dr. Charles Martin charges premium fees for his work...often ten times more than other dentists BUT he also does premium work. In fact, there are only about one hundred other dentists on the planet who can do what he does. When people say to him, "You're so expensive." He calmly tells him that he's actually very inexpensive. On paper it looks like it costs more, but in the long wrong, because the work he does is superior and the best, it ends up costing less. Guess who patients go to after a cheaper dentists does sub par work. You guessed it.
A couple days ago, I went to a preliminary hearing at the labor board with Alexis. (She is being sued by a former, disgruntled employee.) Well, Alexis hired one of best labor attorney's in Los Angeles. The guy's fee is a whopping $500 an hour but my oh my is he worth it. It was a pleasure and an education to watch a pro of his caliber work. The employee, had her mother in law, also a lawyer represent her. The contrast between the two lawyers was night in day. Quite frankly, Alexis' attorney made the other woman look foolish, amateurish, defensive and rude.
Last year, unfortunately, I hired a "cheap" copywriter (who really wasn't that cheap, by the way but in terms of world class copywriters, she was). The copy I got was so poorly done that I got a zero percent response to my house list. That has never happened before. What I should have done is hire one of the best copywriters around, namely me!
So the next time you are thinking about investing in a product or service, don't just look at the price. Ask yourself, am I buying the best I can afford? In the end, buying the best almost always is less expensive.
(As always, your comments are welcome.)
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. Speaking of copywriting...if you want to write sales copy that pulls in orders and money like a magnet, then check out this dynamite resource www.davedee.com/admagic
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Great yoga class, unfortunate, common story
I just got back from a yoga class and I'm drenched in sweat. I'm talking dripping wet from head to toe and need to take a shower like you read about.
But my personal hygiene issues are not the focus of today's message.
The yoga class rocked. One of the best ones I have ever attended. The room was packed wall to wall with students (mostly very beautiful women I might add...not that I was looking!)
The male instructor was the complete package. Not only did he run a great class, the dude had the look. Think of a lesser Matthew Mcconaughey and you'll get the picture.
This guy has "star" written all over him but he's not and here's why: (I'm friends with some people who know this guy well and they told me a lot about him. I could have guessed all this because his story is all too common.)
First he has a very big ego. Now the truth is, almost every successful person has a large ego. The problemo is when someone let's their ego get in the way of asking other people for help, listening and then acting on the suggestions. I find it amazing that people will pay me big bucks for my advice on information marketing - a topic where I clearly know my stuff - and then not follow my advice. They've gotta do it "their way."
Second, Mr. Yoga does not practice what he preaches and live the yoga lifestyle...Not by a long shot. His beliefs and actions are not congruent. You can get away with that for a little while but your true colors are eventually going to shine through.
My soon to be released "Passion Into Profits" course is not for people who want to make a quick buck. It's for people who who have a passion for something and want to share it with other people. I want to help people who truly practice what they preach.
Third, he definitely wants success but isn't willing to take the actions necessary to make it happen. So many people dream about success and hope that it'll happen for them. When I was involved in selling marketing information to magicians, many of them resisted it and resented me for telling them the truth that odds are that no one is going to "discover" them so they need to learn how to sell themselves.
My mission in life, my passion is to help people make a ton of dee-nero doing something they love to do because I know how it affects every other aspect of their lives and the lives of those around them. There is a true "ripple effect" when success and happiness are working together. But the truth is, I, nor can anyone, help people who are not open to it.
This just doesn't apply to business it applies to your personal life as well.
Think about it.
(As always, your comments are very welcome and I do read each and every one of them.)
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
But my personal hygiene issues are not the focus of today's message.
The yoga class rocked. One of the best ones I have ever attended. The room was packed wall to wall with students (mostly very beautiful women I might add...not that I was looking!)
The male instructor was the complete package. Not only did he run a great class, the dude had the look. Think of a lesser Matthew Mcconaughey and you'll get the picture.
This guy has "star" written all over him but he's not and here's why: (I'm friends with some people who know this guy well and they told me a lot about him. I could have guessed all this because his story is all too common.)
First he has a very big ego. Now the truth is, almost every successful person has a large ego. The problemo is when someone let's their ego get in the way of asking other people for help, listening and then acting on the suggestions. I find it amazing that people will pay me big bucks for my advice on information marketing - a topic where I clearly know my stuff - and then not follow my advice. They've gotta do it "their way."
Second, Mr. Yoga does not practice what he preaches and live the yoga lifestyle...Not by a long shot. His beliefs and actions are not congruent. You can get away with that for a little while but your true colors are eventually going to shine through.
My soon to be released "Passion Into Profits" course is not for people who want to make a quick buck. It's for people who who have a passion for something and want to share it with other people. I want to help people who truly practice what they preach.
Third, he definitely wants success but isn't willing to take the actions necessary to make it happen. So many people dream about success and hope that it'll happen for them. When I was involved in selling marketing information to magicians, many of them resisted it and resented me for telling them the truth that odds are that no one is going to "discover" them so they need to learn how to sell themselves.
My mission in life, my passion is to help people make a ton of dee-nero doing something they love to do because I know how it affects every other aspect of their lives and the lives of those around them. There is a true "ripple effect" when success and happiness are working together. But the truth is, I, nor can anyone, help people who are not open to it.
This just doesn't apply to business it applies to your personal life as well.
Think about it.
(As always, your comments are very welcome and I do read each and every one of them.)
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Big Ass Lie
On a plane (surprised?!) flying back to LA from a very enjoyable weekend in San Francisco.
I'm going to tell you something that won't win me any popularity contests - especially from the gurus selling the get rich quick products.
It's what I call "The Big Ass Lie." And here 'tis...
You can make mucho dee-nero without putting in a lot of hard work.
There is not ONE successful person I know who doesn't work their tail off. Now, plenty of these folks say they're not working hard 'cause it helps them sell products. But their reality is much different.
Have I scared you await yet? Bet not.
But let's define "work." Is it really work if you enjoy what you're doing? Um, I say "yes." You can and should love what you do to bring in the dee-nero but it's still work. (A famous author has a book out about how he only works a handful of hours each week. But, this same guy is constantly promoting, speaking, doing interviews - which all adds up to a lot more than a handful of hours each week.)
If you want to know the real secret of the ultra-successful,watch what they do, not what they say.
In my soon to be released "Passion Into Profits" course, I teach you how to make a KILLING doing something you love, in the information marketing business.
The TRUTH is you can,if you follow my system, make more dee-nero in a month than most people make all year BUT, you are gonna have to put in some effort.
My advice to you is run to the hills when anyone sells you hyped of promises of rewards without effort. You know in your heart that is an impossibility.
So let's roll up our sleeves, get to work, make some dee-nero and really help our customers.
(As always, your comments are welcome and I do read each and every one of them.)
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
I'm going to tell you something that won't win me any popularity contests - especially from the gurus selling the get rich quick products.
It's what I call "The Big Ass Lie." And here 'tis...
You can make mucho dee-nero without putting in a lot of hard work.
There is not ONE successful person I know who doesn't work their tail off. Now, plenty of these folks say they're not working hard 'cause it helps them sell products. But their reality is much different.
Have I scared you await yet? Bet not.
But let's define "work." Is it really work if you enjoy what you're doing? Um, I say "yes." You can and should love what you do to bring in the dee-nero but it's still work. (A famous author has a book out about how he only works a handful of hours each week. But, this same guy is constantly promoting, speaking, doing interviews - which all adds up to a lot more than a handful of hours each week.)
If you want to know the real secret of the ultra-successful,watch what they do, not what they say.
In my soon to be released "Passion Into Profits" course, I teach you how to make a KILLING doing something you love, in the information marketing business.
The TRUTH is you can,if you follow my system, make more dee-nero in a month than most people make all year BUT, you are gonna have to put in some effort.
My advice to you is run to the hills when anyone sells you hyped of promises of rewards without effort. You know in your heart that is an impossibility.
So let's roll up our sleeves, get to work, make some dee-nero and really help our customers.
(As always, your comments are welcome and I do read each and every one of them.)
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
Friday, July 18, 2008
The $40 Cigar and the $100,000 Ring
San Francisco is cold and I have never seen more homeless people begging for money in my entire life.
If you have never visited the "city by the bay", you can't imagine how many beggars there are. It's sad and at the same time obnoxious. The local government has made San Francisco a haven for these folks. (Don't get me wrong, I do feel for many of these people, especially the older women, and I gave away a lot of dee-nero yesterday to these poor souls, but it is still way over the top.)
I'm here with Alexis while she attends the BlogHer conference. I went to an after hour party with her last night and the estrogen level in the room was off the charts! Today, I'm hiding away in my room and writing copy. (I might go for a testosterone shot, just as a pre-cautionary measure!)
Last night, while Alexis was at a ladies only event, I walked around San Francisco and stopped off in a very cool wine shop that also sold cigars. I saw what looked like some fine cigars but was steered away from them by the shop owner to more of the name brand ones.
I said, "Whoa! What about those in that case case?" He said, "Oh, those are pre-embargo Monte Cristos and they are really expensive."
Of course, now my ego kicks in and I really want one. "Well, how much is 'really expensive', " I ask.
"Forty bucks a stick, " he replies.
"I'll take one, " I say.
Now the shop owner is starts talking to me about all the great wines he has, that he ships, about his wine cellar and asks me if I want to go on a tour. Starts telling me about one of his customers who just spent $6,000 on wine. Do you see what he did?
He did a masterful job of take away selling on the cigars. He played to my ego by telling me how expensive they were. Then, when I bought one, he started telling me about the other expensive stuff he had and again, played to my ego. Smart. (No, I did not buy six thousand dollars worth of wine.)
Earlier in the day, Alexis and I walked past this jewelry store where we saw one of the most beautiful diamond rings I have ever seen. (No, I am NOT getting engaged,) We both guessed at the price. Her guess was sixteen grand. My guess was twenty-five grand.
We went into to look at it and, of course, she wanted to try it on. We were escorted downstairs to a special room. We are not allowed to videotape anything or even take a picture of the ring because "this was an exclusive, custom design." (More takeaway selling.)
She tries it on and it looked amazing. (Honestly, I thought the diamond was too big.) We then ask what the price is. "One hundred thousand dollars," was the reply. "Oh, is that all?", I joke.
The owner then tells me he can give me a really great price on it. I'm thinking, "Oh, you'd have to give me a really, great price." But what I say is that "I am not ready to get engaged."
He gives me his card and writes down the model number of the ring BUT even better, he asks for my name, phone number and email address. Super, super smart. (Are you getting that information from all of your prospects?)
Both the wine shop and the jewelry store have been in business, in a super competitive environment because they have great products but, more importantly, they know how to sell. if you want an instant boost in your profits, master the art of selling.
Okay, gonna write some copy now and then I'm off to lunch. I'm looking forward to seeing what wonders await me.
Have a great weekend, mi amigo.
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. Listen, if you want to increase your selling power tenfold and want to learn stuff that is not taught in any books you can find at the bookstore, then you definitely want to check out my "Psychic Salesperson Toolkit" I'm so positive that this'll blow you away, that I'll send it to you for free. Click here.
If you have never visited the "city by the bay", you can't imagine how many beggars there are. It's sad and at the same time obnoxious. The local government has made San Francisco a haven for these folks. (Don't get me wrong, I do feel for many of these people, especially the older women, and I gave away a lot of dee-nero yesterday to these poor souls, but it is still way over the top.)
I'm here with Alexis while she attends the BlogHer conference. I went to an after hour party with her last night and the estrogen level in the room was off the charts! Today, I'm hiding away in my room and writing copy. (I might go for a testosterone shot, just as a pre-cautionary measure!)
Last night, while Alexis was at a ladies only event, I walked around San Francisco and stopped off in a very cool wine shop that also sold cigars. I saw what looked like some fine cigars but was steered away from them by the shop owner to more of the name brand ones.
I said, "Whoa! What about those in that case case?" He said, "Oh, those are pre-embargo Monte Cristos and they are really expensive."
Of course, now my ego kicks in and I really want one. "Well, how much is 'really expensive', " I ask.
"Forty bucks a stick, " he replies.
"I'll take one, " I say.
Now the shop owner is starts talking to me about all the great wines he has, that he ships, about his wine cellar and asks me if I want to go on a tour. Starts telling me about one of his customers who just spent $6,000 on wine. Do you see what he did?
He did a masterful job of take away selling on the cigars. He played to my ego by telling me how expensive they were. Then, when I bought one, he started telling me about the other expensive stuff he had and again, played to my ego. Smart. (No, I did not buy six thousand dollars worth of wine.)
Earlier in the day, Alexis and I walked past this jewelry store where we saw one of the most beautiful diamond rings I have ever seen. (No, I am NOT getting engaged,) We both guessed at the price. Her guess was sixteen grand. My guess was twenty-five grand.
We went into to look at it and, of course, she wanted to try it on. We were escorted downstairs to a special room. We are not allowed to videotape anything or even take a picture of the ring because "this was an exclusive, custom design." (More takeaway selling.)
She tries it on and it looked amazing. (Honestly, I thought the diamond was too big.) We then ask what the price is. "One hundred thousand dollars," was the reply. "Oh, is that all?", I joke.
The owner then tells me he can give me a really great price on it. I'm thinking, "Oh, you'd have to give me a really, great price." But what I say is that "I am not ready to get engaged."
He gives me his card and writes down the model number of the ring BUT even better, he asks for my name, phone number and email address. Super, super smart. (Are you getting that information from all of your prospects?)
Both the wine shop and the jewelry store have been in business, in a super competitive environment because they have great products but, more importantly, they know how to sell. if you want an instant boost in your profits, master the art of selling.
Okay, gonna write some copy now and then I'm off to lunch. I'm looking forward to seeing what wonders await me.
Have a great weekend, mi amigo.
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. Listen, if you want to increase your selling power tenfold and want to learn stuff that is not taught in any books you can find at the bookstore, then you definitely want to check out my "Psychic Salesperson Toolkit" I'm so positive that this'll blow you away, that I'll send it to you for free. Click here.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
I feel the need for speed!
Today, I hopping on another plane to San Francisco. Alexis is attending the "BlogHer" conference (a name that annoys me to no end!)
No, I am not participating in the seminar, I will be holed away in the hotel room writing copy...a lot of copy...for myself and for clients.
In order for me to get it all done, and do a first class job, I need to be speedy. In order to be speedy, I need to have shortcuts.
One of my biggest shortcuts is my top secret and highly prized "Moneymaking Copywriting Checklist" binder. The sections include, marketing solutions, copywriting formula, headlines, letter openings, bullet points, offers, P.S.'s, transitions, power words, proofing checklists, and more.
And, lest you think, this is a set up to sell this valuable binder it is not. It's not for sale at any price. But I'm not going to leave you hanging. This month, my Inner Circle members are receiving a KILLER report on headlines that contains many shortcuts. Here is an excerpt from the report:
-----
Let’s talk about the rules you should follow when writing headlines, the different types of headlines you can use, proven words to use in headlines, and how you can become an expert at writing headlines.
Rules to follow when writing headlines:
No, I am not participating in the seminar, I will be holed away in the hotel room writing copy...a lot of copy...for myself and for clients.
In order for me to get it all done, and do a first class job, I need to be speedy. In order to be speedy, I need to have shortcuts.
One of my biggest shortcuts is my top secret and highly prized "Moneymaking Copywriting Checklist" binder. The sections include, marketing solutions, copywriting formula, headlines, letter openings, bullet points, offers, P.S.'s, transitions, power words, proofing checklists, and more.
And, lest you think, this is a set up to sell this valuable binder it is not. It's not for sale at any price. But I'm not going to leave you hanging. This month, my Inner Circle members are receiving a KILLER report on headlines that contains many shortcuts. Here is an excerpt from the report:
-----
Let’s talk about the rules you should follow when writing headlines, the different types of headlines you can use, proven words to use in headlines, and how you can become an expert at writing headlines.
Rules to follow when writing headlines:
- First and foremost, your headline must appeal to your reader’s self interest. Communicate the strongest benefit (or benefits) to your prospect. Everybody’s favorite radio station is “WIIFM” -- What’s In It For Me? Your headline should answer this important question.
- Attract the attention of the prospect you’d like to target. If your headline doesn’t attract the right people, it has failed. Your headline must reach out to your prospect, grab them by the throat and say, “Hey!!! I’m talking to you!”
- Your headline must deliver a clear and understandable message. Most people read only the headlines. Because of this, your headline must make a complete statement and compel the prospect to continue reading the body copy.
- If you have news, such as a new product, be sure to get that news into your headline in a big way.
- Don’t try to be clever or humorous with your headlines. These type of headlines are ineffective and a waste of money.
- Include the words “quick” and “easy” if it fits what you are communicating.
- Use specifics in your headlines, not generalities. For example, “Make $5,274 In 30 Days” is a better headline than “Make Money Fast”. Specifics are more believable.
- Always test two headlines against each other to see which one pulls the best.
- Use upper and lower case letters for your headlines. This is easier to read than all caps. I also like to put quotation marks around my headlines. Studies have shown that quotation marks around headlines increase readership.
- When it’s time for you to write a headline for your ad, write at least 50 headlines. Some direct marketers spend days writing hundreds of headlines in search of the right one. To come up with selling headlines takes more than just a few minutes. You’ve got to commit yourself to sitting down and writing at least 50 headlines!
Your headline is the key to your entire ad’s success. If you don’t tell your prospect what’s in it for them, you won’t get their attention. If you don’t get their attention, they won’t read your ad. And if they don’t read your ad, you’ve wasted your time and money.
---
Okay, I've got to shower and pack. I'll talk to ya tomorrow from San Francisco.
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. If you're not an Inner Circle member, today would be the day to take a no risk test drive and claim the "Profit Generator, Market Dominator" program (that I sell for $97) for free. Go to: http://www.davedee.com/ic
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
An early morning limo ride revelation
I'm at the airport waiting to get on a plane to fly to my second residence in LA.
My ex-wife's car is in the shop so I'm letting her borrow mine while I'm away so I took a limo to the airport.
The driver, a very friendly guy from Kenya, talked to me for the entire ride. He asked what I did for a living and I enthusiastically told him, "I help people turn their passion, hobby or knowledge into a 6 to 7 figure income stream." Of course, his response was, "How do you do that?!"
Side note: Do you get that type of response when people ask you what you do for a living? If not, you need to work on your Unique Selling Proposition. (See the great workshop in "Your Marketing Department In A Box" for a step by step system for creating a killer USP.)
I then went on to describe the best business in the world, the information marketing business and asked him "So, Maurice, what is your passion? What do you love to do?"
He said, "I want to make a lot of money."
"No, Maurice, " I replied. "What do you love to do? What are you passionate about it? Tell me that and I'll give you ideas about how you can make a lot of money doing something related to that. "
He sat silently for a few minutes and then said, "I have never thought about that before. I have just always worked."
Wow, I really thought that everyone thought about what they would love to do for a living. But the reality is that most people never really think about, let alone, answer that question for themselves.
They won't let themselves fantasize about that because they don't believe they can make their dream a reality and they don't want to be disappointed so they plod along making a living instead of designing a life.
It's sad, really because I KNOW that you can make a ton of dee-nero doing something you love. I know this for a fact because I have done it on more than one occasion and my students and clients are doing it right now.
Soon, I will be releasing my "How To Turn Your Passion Into Profits" system. It is the best work I have ever done. Period. I am totally passionate about helping people get wealthy doing something they love while helping a lot of other people in the process. (Can you think of a better business to be in than that?) Thar is my mission.
To prepare yourself for the "Passion Into Profits Revolution", find a quiet place to sit down and really, deeply think about what your passion is, what you would love to do to to make, not just a "living", but a fortune and live a life of passion, purpose and prosperity. Dream, my friend, dream. I promise you we can make your dreams come true.
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. As always, your comments are very welcome and I do read each and everyon of them.
My ex-wife's car is in the shop so I'm letting her borrow mine while I'm away so I took a limo to the airport.
The driver, a very friendly guy from Kenya, talked to me for the entire ride. He asked what I did for a living and I enthusiastically told him, "I help people turn their passion, hobby or knowledge into a 6 to 7 figure income stream." Of course, his response was, "How do you do that?!"
Side note: Do you get that type of response when people ask you what you do for a living? If not, you need to work on your Unique Selling Proposition. (See the great workshop in "Your Marketing Department In A Box" for a step by step system for creating a killer USP.)
I then went on to describe the best business in the world, the information marketing business and asked him "So, Maurice, what is your passion? What do you love to do?"
He said, "I want to make a lot of money."
"No, Maurice, " I replied. "What do you love to do? What are you passionate about it? Tell me that and I'll give you ideas about how you can make a lot of money doing something related to that. "
He sat silently for a few minutes and then said, "I have never thought about that before. I have just always worked."
Wow, I really thought that everyone thought about what they would love to do for a living. But the reality is that most people never really think about, let alone, answer that question for themselves.
They won't let themselves fantasize about that because they don't believe they can make their dream a reality and they don't want to be disappointed so they plod along making a living instead of designing a life.
It's sad, really because I KNOW that you can make a ton of dee-nero doing something you love. I know this for a fact because I have done it on more than one occasion and my students and clients are doing it right now.
Soon, I will be releasing my "How To Turn Your Passion Into Profits" system. It is the best work I have ever done. Period. I am totally passionate about helping people get wealthy doing something they love while helping a lot of other people in the process. (Can you think of a better business to be in than that?) Thar is my mission.
To prepare yourself for the "Passion Into Profits Revolution", find a quiet place to sit down and really, deeply think about what your passion is, what you would love to do to to make, not just a "living", but a fortune and live a life of passion, purpose and prosperity. Dream, my friend, dream. I promise you we can make your dreams come true.
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. As always, your comments are very welcome and I do read each and everyon of them.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
My date with Gina and the big lesson for you
Last night I had a date with my daughter, Gina. (Every other week, I take one of my kids out for a little one on one time.)
She came over to my apartment and put on her bathing suit. Being the intuitive guy that I am, I asked her if she wanted to go swimming. She said kind of sadly, "No because you won't want to come in the pool." She knows that I am not a big fan of the pool but this was her date so I surprised her by saying I would. And man, am I glad I did.
She laughed and giggled the entire time we were playing in the water. She was loving it and, because of her joy, I was loving it too. Stephen Covey explains it beautifully, and I'm paraphrasing, "You do things that you might not necessarily love to do but you do them because of the love you have for someone else."
After the pool, we went out to dinner. She likes to go to this bar/restaurant and always sits next to me in the booth where we play tic tac toe (strange how I almost always lose) and hangman. I ask her if I should have a steak or a burger and she advises me to have the steak and that she'll "eat all my french fries for me."
As we are sharing a decadent chocolate desert, she tells me that she has made up a song and wants to sing it to me but is embarrassed to do so. I tell her that I would love to hear her song.
When we get back to my apartment, she sings me a song, with beautiful lyrics that blows my mind. I ask her if she really made it up and she assures me. she has This leads to a discussion of music, specifically rock and roll. (I LOVE music.)
She sees my John Lennon collection and asks me who he is. We talk about the Beatles and I show her their first album. (She tells me that George is "hot." Good lord, she's nine years old!) Gina can definitely tell what a Beatles song when she hears it (I have trained her right!). And we listen and dance together to some Beatles and then to a local Atlanta band, "The Brilliant Inventions."
I drive her back home and we talk non-stop the entire time.
What a night to remember. Definitely one of my best dates ever.
So what does this have to do with business and making dee-nero? Absolutely everything.
You see, my friend, I have structured my business around the lifestyle I want to have. I can take time off when I want and basically do what I want to do, My business does not dictate my lifestyle my lifestyle dictates my business. I work not for money but for what money allows me to do. But the truth is, having more money would not have made my date with my daughter any better. It was perfect as it was.
Today, I have a date with both of my kids. Tomorrow, I get on a plane to visit the love of my life in LA for eight days. I carry my entire business with me, in the form of my laptop, on the plane. Fire it up when I get to LA and work as I stare out at the ocean.
Yes, I have been blessed and have been very fortunate. But I have also worked hard and took risks to create the lifestyle I now enjoy.
If this sounds appealing to you, soon I will be teaching you step by step how you can do it too. How you can turn your hobby or passion into the business of your dreams and live the lifestyle your truly desire.
Stay tuned and as always,
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
Dave Dee
P.S. Your comments are always welcomed. I really do read them all.
She came over to my apartment and put on her bathing suit. Being the intuitive guy that I am, I asked her if she wanted to go swimming. She said kind of sadly, "No because you won't want to come in the pool." She knows that I am not a big fan of the pool but this was her date so I surprised her by saying I would. And man, am I glad I did.
She laughed and giggled the entire time we were playing in the water. She was loving it and, because of her joy, I was loving it too. Stephen Covey explains it beautifully, and I'm paraphrasing, "You do things that you might not necessarily love to do but you do them because of the love you have for someone else."
After the pool, we went out to dinner. She likes to go to this bar/restaurant and always sits next to me in the booth where we play tic tac toe (strange how I almost always lose) and hangman. I ask her if I should have a steak or a burger and she advises me to have the steak and that she'll "eat all my french fries for me."
As we are sharing a decadent chocolate desert, she tells me that she has made up a song and wants to sing it to me but is embarrassed to do so. I tell her that I would love to hear her song.
When we get back to my apartment, she sings me a song, with beautiful lyrics that blows my mind. I ask her if she really made it up and she assures me. she has This leads to a discussion of music, specifically rock and roll. (I LOVE music.)
She sees my John Lennon collection and asks me who he is. We talk about the Beatles and I show her their first album. (She tells me that George is "hot." Good lord, she's nine years old!) Gina can definitely tell what a Beatles song when she hears it (I have trained her right!). And we listen and dance together to some Beatles and then to a local Atlanta band, "The Brilliant Inventions."
I drive her back home and we talk non-stop the entire time.
What a night to remember. Definitely one of my best dates ever.
So what does this have to do with business and making dee-nero? Absolutely everything.
You see, my friend, I have structured my business around the lifestyle I want to have. I can take time off when I want and basically do what I want to do, My business does not dictate my lifestyle my lifestyle dictates my business. I work not for money but for what money allows me to do. But the truth is, having more money would not have made my date with my daughter any better. It was perfect as it was.
Today, I have a date with both of my kids. Tomorrow, I get on a plane to visit the love of my life in LA for eight days. I carry my entire business with me, in the form of my laptop, on the plane. Fire it up when I get to LA and work as I stare out at the ocean.
Yes, I have been blessed and have been very fortunate. But I have also worked hard and took risks to create the lifestyle I now enjoy.
If this sounds appealing to you, soon I will be teaching you step by step how you can do it too. How you can turn your hobby or passion into the business of your dreams and live the lifestyle your truly desire.
Stay tuned and as always,
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
Dave Dee
P.S. Your comments are always welcomed. I really do read them all.
Monday, July 14, 2008
I swear under oath this is 100% true
Everything in this story you are about to read is true...I say that because you won't believe it.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about how Six Flags Amusement Park was not Disney. Well, over the weekend, my kids and I went to American Adventures Amusement Park and it was literally like a Twilight Zone episode...
We arrive at the park on a hot 93 degree Saturday. There is a huge line of cars to get in which is made worse by the fact that they only have one person at the gate taking money for parking, the other two lanes are closed. I find this to be a bit odd figuring that this has to be one of their busiest days.
I pay my $10 for parking, park a long distance away and walk to buy tickets to get into the park. After I pay for the tickets, the teenage cashier says, "Did you pay for parking." "Yes, ten dollars," I reply. "Great, " she says. "You get a ten dollars back on your ticket price."
"Wow," I think waiting for my ten smackers to be handed to me. "Oh, I need your parking receipt to give you the money back," she informs me. "Um, it's in my car," I say. How many people actually carry their parking receipt with them? When I paid for parking no one told me to bring the parking receipt with me to get money back."
She replies, "Oh, that's too bad. We've been having a problem with that all day. They are not telling anyone to bring their parking receipt with them."
"Okaaaay...since that is the case, why not just give me the ten bucks back then?", I ask.
"I can't unless you have your parking receipt, " she matter-of-factly tells me.
Instead of walking all the way back to the car, under protest I decide to forgo the ten dollars, .
My kids and I walk into the park. They are excited about going on one of their favorite rides - The Pirate Ship. Uh, oh, that ride is closed. Sorry kids. They are fine with that.
"Daddy hasn't eaten all day, so I'm going to get some food before we go on any rides," I tell them. Uh, oh, ALL OF THE CONCESSIONS STANDS ARE CLOSED! "That's odd," I think to myself, again, figuring concessions have to be a major profit center.
I ask where I can get something to eat and drink and I'm told to go to the restaurants (note the plural) inside the building. So we dutifully hike over to the building.
Uh, oh...there is only ONE restaurant open, a mini version of Pizza Hut. And, as you would imagine, there is a huge line. But, I'm starving, and my kids are really great, so I get in line and wait and wait and wait.
An exasperated customer, who finally has his food informs me that he was third in line and it took twenty minutes for him to get a slice of pizza. I count the people and see that I am number 15 in line. I quickly do the math in my head and decide I'm really not that hungry.
So we're off to go on the kids second favorite ride...The Giant Slide. Uh, oh...It looks like it is closed as well. "How can that be, " I wonder. "It's a big giant slide that you go down inside a burlap sack. How can it be 'broken'!"
"It's not broken," I'm informed by another teenager who is operating a ride, next to the big slide, that literally NO ONE wants to go on- while a LOT of people keep asking about the Big Slide. "The guy in charge of the slide is on break," I am told. "When will he be back?", I politely ask. "Dunno," is the answer I get.
Off we go and the kids do go on the roller coaster. They have fun but now my stomach is starting to growl at an alarming pitch. My kids get off the ride and say, "Daddy, we are thirsty." Heck, it's only 93 degrees, why should they be thirsty? Come to think of it, I'm thirsty and still hungry.
We walk past the closed concession stands and up to a Coke machine. $3.50 per soda it says. At this point, I didn't care if it was ten dollars per soda! I open my wallet and...uh, oh...I only have $20 bills. So off we go back to the ticket counter to get change for the twenty. I am told by the same young lady who informed me about my would be $10 parking refund, that "We don't give change. We can't open the register to make change."
Now, I am getting a bit "perturbed," to say the least. I argue for a short while, say a couple "flowery" words under my breath and go to the change machine back inside the building as, I was instructed to do.
Uh, oh...and please remember this is ALL true...the change machine is OUT OF ORDER!!! I am told by another 'helpful' employee that if I wanted drinks, to "Go wait in the Pizza Hut line."
At this point I am fuming to the point of my head almost popping off my neck. I ask, forcefully to see a manager. (My kids are still being good sports. They really are great kids.)
The manager comes out and I start going off telling her about my very frustrating saga. I am not yelling, but I am super angry and then I notice that the manager is a 17 year old girl. So I try to calm down so as not to scare her.
She tells me that she'll give me my money back. I say, "I don't want my money back. All I want is change for the soda machine." She scurries off to break my twenty. She scurries back to give me two ten dollar bills. "Um, Miss, the soda machine only takes one dollar bills," I inform her.
She then says that she is going to get drinks for us, "on the house, " and to meet her at the Pizza Hut. We follow her over, she goes in the back to get us our sodas. At this point, I'm feeling kind of like a king as I look at the other poor saps waiting in the long line, while I get the "VIP" treatment.
Uh, oh...I see there is some discussion going on by the soda machine in the kitchen of the Pizza Hut. The manager tells me, believe it or not, that the soda machine has stopped working!!!!! But not to worry because she thinks she has some big plastic bottles of soda in the back that she'll open.
A few minutes later, she's back with three cups of soda. Hmm, they feel kind of warm. She apologizes and tells me, "We have run out of ice." (Again, mi amigo, I am not making up one word of this.)
So we drink our warm sodas and decide it's time to go on the giant swing ride. We know that ride is working because we saw people on it with our own eyes. So off we go!
Uh, oh...the ride is now closed! Why? The guy who runs it is on his break, of course!
Well, surely, the Big Slide must be open by now. He has to be back from his break, right? Off to the Big Slide we go!
Uh, oh...it still looks like it's closed! So, I ask the "Guy running the ride next to it that no one wants to go on" what the deal is. His answer, "Dunno."
I suggest that HE run the big slide ride instead of this one since there are a lot of people being turned away from the big slide and no one asking to go on his ride. "Nope. This is the ride I'm supposed to be at, " he tells me with complete disinterest.
I could go on to tell you about the ride we went on that had trouble stopping, which they closed down right after my kids and I got off of it, or the water fountain that didn't work, or the filthy bathrooms but I think you got the flavor of my experience.
In "Your Marketing Department In A Box", I talk about creating a memorable, "wow" experience for your customers. This was both memorable and a wow, but in the completely wrong way!
As we are leaving the amusement park, I say to my kids, "Hey as long as you don't want to eat or drink or go on any rides, this is one helluva amusement park!" We walk out hand in hand all laughing hysterically. I really do have wonderful kids.
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
Dave Dee
P.S. Ya willin' to help a brother out who had a nightmarish amusement park experience? Ya wanna make me feel better (and increase your profits, attract more a-list clients, have more free time and put more dee-nero in your pocket) ? Then order your own personal copy of "Your Marketing Department In A Box" right now at http://www.davedee.com/box
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about how Six Flags Amusement Park was not Disney. Well, over the weekend, my kids and I went to American Adventures Amusement Park and it was literally like a Twilight Zone episode...
We arrive at the park on a hot 93 degree Saturday. There is a huge line of cars to get in which is made worse by the fact that they only have one person at the gate taking money for parking, the other two lanes are closed. I find this to be a bit odd figuring that this has to be one of their busiest days.
I pay my $10 for parking, park a long distance away and walk to buy tickets to get into the park. After I pay for the tickets, the teenage cashier says, "Did you pay for parking." "Yes, ten dollars," I reply. "Great, " she says. "You get a ten dollars back on your ticket price."
"Wow," I think waiting for my ten smackers to be handed to me. "Oh, I need your parking receipt to give you the money back," she informs me. "Um, it's in my car," I say. How many people actually carry their parking receipt with them? When I paid for parking no one told me to bring the parking receipt with me to get money back."
She replies, "Oh, that's too bad. We've been having a problem with that all day. They are not telling anyone to bring their parking receipt with them."
"Okaaaay...since that is the case, why not just give me the ten bucks back then?", I ask.
"I can't unless you have your parking receipt, " she matter-of-factly tells me.
Instead of walking all the way back to the car, under protest I decide to forgo the ten dollars, .
My kids and I walk into the park. They are excited about going on one of their favorite rides - The Pirate Ship. Uh, oh, that ride is closed. Sorry kids. They are fine with that.
"Daddy hasn't eaten all day, so I'm going to get some food before we go on any rides," I tell them. Uh, oh, ALL OF THE CONCESSIONS STANDS ARE CLOSED! "That's odd," I think to myself, again, figuring concessions have to be a major profit center.
I ask where I can get something to eat and drink and I'm told to go to the restaurants (note the plural) inside the building. So we dutifully hike over to the building.
Uh, oh...there is only ONE restaurant open, a mini version of Pizza Hut. And, as you would imagine, there is a huge line. But, I'm starving, and my kids are really great, so I get in line and wait and wait and wait.
An exasperated customer, who finally has his food informs me that he was third in line and it took twenty minutes for him to get a slice of pizza. I count the people and see that I am number 15 in line. I quickly do the math in my head and decide I'm really not that hungry.
So we're off to go on the kids second favorite ride...The Giant Slide. Uh, oh...It looks like it is closed as well. "How can that be, " I wonder. "It's a big giant slide that you go down inside a burlap sack. How can it be 'broken'!"
"It's not broken," I'm informed by another teenager who is operating a ride, next to the big slide, that literally NO ONE wants to go on- while a LOT of people keep asking about the Big Slide. "The guy in charge of the slide is on break," I am told. "When will he be back?", I politely ask. "Dunno," is the answer I get.
Off we go and the kids do go on the roller coaster. They have fun but now my stomach is starting to growl at an alarming pitch. My kids get off the ride and say, "Daddy, we are thirsty." Heck, it's only 93 degrees, why should they be thirsty? Come to think of it, I'm thirsty and still hungry.
We walk past the closed concession stands and up to a Coke machine. $3.50 per soda it says. At this point, I didn't care if it was ten dollars per soda! I open my wallet and...uh, oh...I only have $20 bills. So off we go back to the ticket counter to get change for the twenty. I am told by the same young lady who informed me about my would be $10 parking refund, that "We don't give change. We can't open the register to make change."
Now, I am getting a bit "perturbed," to say the least. I argue for a short while, say a couple "flowery" words under my breath and go to the change machine back inside the building as, I was instructed to do.
Uh, oh...and please remember this is ALL true...the change machine is OUT OF ORDER!!! I am told by another 'helpful' employee that if I wanted drinks, to "Go wait in the Pizza Hut line."
At this point I am fuming to the point of my head almost popping off my neck. I ask, forcefully to see a manager. (My kids are still being good sports. They really are great kids.)
The manager comes out and I start going off telling her about my very frustrating saga. I am not yelling, but I am super angry and then I notice that the manager is a 17 year old girl. So I try to calm down so as not to scare her.
She tells me that she'll give me my money back. I say, "I don't want my money back. All I want is change for the soda machine." She scurries off to break my twenty. She scurries back to give me two ten dollar bills. "Um, Miss, the soda machine only takes one dollar bills," I inform her.
She then says that she is going to get drinks for us, "on the house, " and to meet her at the Pizza Hut. We follow her over, she goes in the back to get us our sodas. At this point, I'm feeling kind of like a king as I look at the other poor saps waiting in the long line, while I get the "VIP" treatment.
Uh, oh...I see there is some discussion going on by the soda machine in the kitchen of the Pizza Hut. The manager tells me, believe it or not, that the soda machine has stopped working!!!!! But not to worry because she thinks she has some big plastic bottles of soda in the back that she'll open.
A few minutes later, she's back with three cups of soda. Hmm, they feel kind of warm. She apologizes and tells me, "We have run out of ice." (Again, mi amigo, I am not making up one word of this.)
So we drink our warm sodas and decide it's time to go on the giant swing ride. We know that ride is working because we saw people on it with our own eyes. So off we go!
Uh, oh...the ride is now closed! Why? The guy who runs it is on his break, of course!
Well, surely, the Big Slide must be open by now. He has to be back from his break, right? Off to the Big Slide we go!
Uh, oh...it still looks like it's closed! So, I ask the "Guy running the ride next to it that no one wants to go on" what the deal is. His answer, "Dunno."
I suggest that HE run the big slide ride instead of this one since there are a lot of people being turned away from the big slide and no one asking to go on his ride. "Nope. This is the ride I'm supposed to be at, " he tells me with complete disinterest.
I could go on to tell you about the ride we went on that had trouble stopping, which they closed down right after my kids and I got off of it, or the water fountain that didn't work, or the filthy bathrooms but I think you got the flavor of my experience.
In "Your Marketing Department In A Box", I talk about creating a memorable, "wow" experience for your customers. This was both memorable and a wow, but in the completely wrong way!
As we are leaving the amusement park, I say to my kids, "Hey as long as you don't want to eat or drink or go on any rides, this is one helluva amusement park!" We walk out hand in hand all laughing hysterically. I really do have wonderful kids.
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
Dave Dee
P.S. Ya willin' to help a brother out who had a nightmarish amusement park experience? Ya wanna make me feel better (and increase your profits, attract more a-list clients, have more free time and put more dee-nero in your pocket) ? Then order your own personal copy of "Your Marketing Department In A Box" right now at http://www.davedee.com/box
Monday, July 7, 2008
By George, he was offended...GOOD!
Marketing God, here...
Oops...according to one of my subscribers, named George, I should be more humble. Here is his comment to my post on Thursday, July 3rd, where I called myself the "marketing god":
"Marketing God?? That's a bit ridiculous - don't you think? Showing a humble side would be much more effective. So many others have reached great heights and haven't self-proclaimed their arrival. It is a bit ridiculous and over-bearing... don't you think?Just some constructive criticism Dave. You'd serve yourself well if you would pull back a bit. Otherwise we'll have to start calling you Neon Deon."
Let's analyze his comment and see if he's right. It contains a lot of marketing lessons:
"A bit ridiculous" - Yep, and that was the point! Tongue was firmly planted in cheek - although there is some truth to the statement, dontcha think? :)
"Showing the humble side would be much more effective." - Really? What marketing planet are you living on? Let's see, Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, Anthony Robbins, Dan Kennedy - and I could go on and on - they sure are all pretty humble guys. I'm not saying that I'm in their league of success but they sure ain't humble. (Uh, oh, did I just show some humility by saying I wasn't in their league? I've gotta work on that.)
"It is a bit ridiculous and over-bearing... don't you think?" - Only if you take life too seriously. Too many people today are politically correct and are offended by the slightest little thing. I say we all need to lighten up and have some more fun with our businesses and our lives.
"Just some constructive criticism Dave" - Hmm...let me check my "Sent Items" in Gmail. Nope, I sure didn't send out an email asking for constructive criticism about my blog post that had such tremendous value that I gave away for FREE. (If you haven't read it, you should.)
"You'd serve yourself well if you would pull back a bit." - Let me see, not being a shameless self-promoter or causing any controversy is the way to get ahead? Don't know ANY successful marketer who subscribes to that philosophy.
And now my favorite comment:
"Otherwise we'll have to start calling you Neon Deon." - For those of you who don't know, he is talking about football player Deon Sanders, who was brash and a huge self-promoter. He got one of the largest NFL contracts for a rookie right out of college, was one of the highest paid players in the league, won multiple Super Bowls, is going to be a Hall of Famer, and owns a lot of very successful businesses." Nah, why would I want to be like that?
So, what do YOU think? Your comments are most welcome...and as you can tell I do read 'em!
Kick butt, make mucho DEEnero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. Oh, and what I failed to mention is that blog post produced a whole bunch of sales of "Your Marketing Department In A Box" - right before a holiday weekend. Hmm, maybe the "marketing god" does know what he's doing!
PPS: My team and I are working super hard to put the final touches on my greatest product ever: "How To Turn Your Passion Into Profits." We'll be ready to launch on Friday!!!
Oops...according to one of my subscribers, named George, I should be more humble. Here is his comment to my post on Thursday, July 3rd, where I called myself the "marketing god":
"Marketing God?? That's a bit ridiculous - don't you think? Showing a humble side would be much more effective. So many others have reached great heights and haven't self-proclaimed their arrival. It is a bit ridiculous and over-bearing... don't you think?Just some constructive criticism Dave. You'd serve yourself well if you would pull back a bit. Otherwise we'll have to start calling you Neon Deon."
Let's analyze his comment and see if he's right. It contains a lot of marketing lessons:
"A bit ridiculous" - Yep, and that was the point! Tongue was firmly planted in cheek - although there is some truth to the statement, dontcha think? :)
"Showing the humble side would be much more effective." - Really? What marketing planet are you living on? Let's see, Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, Anthony Robbins, Dan Kennedy - and I could go on and on - they sure are all pretty humble guys. I'm not saying that I'm in their league of success but they sure ain't humble. (Uh, oh, did I just show some humility by saying I wasn't in their league? I've gotta work on that.)
"It is a bit ridiculous and over-bearing... don't you think?" - Only if you take life too seriously. Too many people today are politically correct and are offended by the slightest little thing. I say we all need to lighten up and have some more fun with our businesses and our lives.
"Just some constructive criticism Dave" - Hmm...let me check my "Sent Items" in Gmail. Nope, I sure didn't send out an email asking for constructive criticism about my blog post that had such tremendous value that I gave away for FREE. (If you haven't read it, you should.)
"You'd serve yourself well if you would pull back a bit." - Let me see, not being a shameless self-promoter or causing any controversy is the way to get ahead? Don't know ANY successful marketer who subscribes to that philosophy.
And now my favorite comment:
"Otherwise we'll have to start calling you Neon Deon." - For those of you who don't know, he is talking about football player Deon Sanders, who was brash and a huge self-promoter. He got one of the largest NFL contracts for a rookie right out of college, was one of the highest paid players in the league, won multiple Super Bowls, is going to be a Hall of Famer, and owns a lot of very successful businesses." Nah, why would I want to be like that?
So, what do YOU think? Your comments are most welcome...and as you can tell I do read 'em!
Kick butt, make mucho DEEnero!
~Dave Dee
P.S. Oh, and what I failed to mention is that blog post produced a whole bunch of sales of "Your Marketing Department In A Box" - right before a holiday weekend. Hmm, maybe the "marketing god" does know what he's doing!
PPS: My team and I are working super hard to put the final touches on my greatest product ever: "How To Turn Your Passion Into Profits." We'll be ready to launch on Friday!!!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Turning a stale list into big profits
I received a question from, John, an attorney about how he should go about re-connecting with a list of prospects and clients who he hasn't contacted in a long time.
It's a great answer and the "marketing god", as you would expect, has some great advice.
Here's a true story:
There was this guy who made his living traveling to parts of the country where he wanted to vacation. While he was in town and he contacted dentists offices with this proposition: "I will come into your office and generate a lot of extra profits for you, profits that lie hidden in your business. I will pay for all of the marketing and we will split the profits 50/50."
This was a no lose situation for the dentist so many of them took him up on his offer.
All this very smart marketer did was go through the dentists files of past clients and reconnect with them through a series of direct mail pieces with an offer to come back in a see the dentist. This guy made a KILLING by the way working very part time.
To re-connect with a stale list, here are the steps to take:
1. Create a very personal sounding letter that acknowledges that you haven't contacted the recipient in a long time, you were thinking of them and wanted to write. Tell them that you are sending them a gift that they should be getting in a few days.
2. Send a gift, in the lawyer's case, I would recommend Alexis Martin Neely's book, "Wear Clean Underwear: A Fast, Fun Friendly - And Essential - Guide To Legal Planning For Busy Parents." The key is to send a gift of real value. Enclose with the gift a HANDWRITTEN personal note.
3. Approximately a week later, send another letter to make sure they received the gift and then make them an offer to come in for something.
4. Put all these folks on your monthly newsletter list.
That's it. It will pay off for you!
(Once again, my free newsletter provides more value than most paid newsletters!)
Kick butt, make mucho DEEnero!
Dave Dee
P.S. If you thought this advice was good, then "Your Marketing Department In A Box" will blow your mind and make your bank account overflow. Get it at: http://www.davedee.com/box
It's a great answer and the "marketing god", as you would expect, has some great advice.
Here's a true story:
There was this guy who made his living traveling to parts of the country where he wanted to vacation. While he was in town and he contacted dentists offices with this proposition: "I will come into your office and generate a lot of extra profits for you, profits that lie hidden in your business. I will pay for all of the marketing and we will split the profits 50/50."
This was a no lose situation for the dentist so many of them took him up on his offer.
All this very smart marketer did was go through the dentists files of past clients and reconnect with them through a series of direct mail pieces with an offer to come back in a see the dentist. This guy made a KILLING by the way working very part time.
To re-connect with a stale list, here are the steps to take:
1. Create a very personal sounding letter that acknowledges that you haven't contacted the recipient in a long time, you were thinking of them and wanted to write. Tell them that you are sending them a gift that they should be getting in a few days.
2. Send a gift, in the lawyer's case, I would recommend Alexis Martin Neely's book, "Wear Clean Underwear: A Fast, Fun Friendly - And Essential - Guide To Legal Planning For Busy Parents." The key is to send a gift of real value. Enclose with the gift a HANDWRITTEN personal note.
3. Approximately a week later, send another letter to make sure they received the gift and then make them an offer to come in for something.
4. Put all these folks on your monthly newsletter list.
That's it. It will pay off for you!
(Once again, my free newsletter provides more value than most paid newsletters!)
Kick butt, make mucho DEEnero!
Dave Dee
P.S. If you thought this advice was good, then "Your Marketing Department In A Box" will blow your mind and make your bank account overflow. Get it at: http://www.davedee.com/box
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Hard to achieve but not impossible
Today's message is short but very important.
Are you taking a long Fourth of July weekend?
I know that I'm not and it's probably a mistake. And my guess is that other entrepreneurs are making the same mistake. What I'm talking about is...
Balance.
Many of us work, work, work and then work some more and never totally disengage. We are driven by our desire to succeed and grow our businesses. We work hard and we love it so often it does not feel like "work."
But the truth is we are hurting ourselves and our businesses.
By disengaging completely from work, we will come back to it refreshed and rejuvenated with better ideas for business growth.
Even more important than our business life, though, is our personal life. We need to spend time with the people who mean to us. Not just through a physical presence but with emotional and mental presence.
When we get to the end of our lives, it is our relationships that will matter most, not how big our business is or how much dee-nero we have in the bank.
Jim Rohn says it perfectly when he talks about achieving some of his early "success", "Had I known in advance the price I'd have to pay, I would have never paid that price."
Think about it.
~Dave Dee
Are you taking a long Fourth of July weekend?
I know that I'm not and it's probably a mistake. And my guess is that other entrepreneurs are making the same mistake. What I'm talking about is...
Balance.
Many of us work, work, work and then work some more and never totally disengage. We are driven by our desire to succeed and grow our businesses. We work hard and we love it so often it does not feel like "work."
But the truth is we are hurting ourselves and our businesses.
By disengaging completely from work, we will come back to it refreshed and rejuvenated with better ideas for business growth.
Even more important than our business life, though, is our personal life. We need to spend time with the people who mean to us. Not just through a physical presence but with emotional and mental presence.
When we get to the end of our lives, it is our relationships that will matter most, not how big our business is or how much dee-nero we have in the bank.
Jim Rohn says it perfectly when he talks about achieving some of his early "success", "Had I known in advance the price I'd have to pay, I would have never paid that price."
Think about it.
~Dave Dee
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