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  #1  
Old February 21, 2019, 01:16 PM
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Default 20 years of sowpub. The best lessons. #1

Over the next few weeks, we'll be posting some ARCHIVE material, along with updates re: the topic.

This is #1. The idea we started with:

You don't get paid for doing nothing.

A simple enough concept, but like a lot of what is here, it is the lily pad floating on the pond, and IF you stick your head in, you'll see a lot more.

I've been called CRYPTIC, and that is a fair evaluation. I have found over the decades, the straight to the point idea seldom reaches its target.

So here we go sticking our head beneath the water.

IF you accept the premise, you don't get paid for doing nothing, then it should set off a whole chain of QUESTIONS, AND answers, which may suit you.

WHAT do you get PAID for? Well, we all understand work. Do a job, get paid.

A n d i t is MY OPINION, the majority should have one because they are not suited to Entrepreneurial pursuits, except for some side hustle gigs.

We'll start with the simple and obvious.

First what is PAID? It is an exchange of an agreed upon value for either a service rendered, or a product sold, or some sort of dividend on assets.

A service means you DO something. The mundane curb address painter, the trash collector, the deck cleaner, the Creative Marketing Professional. The consultant, the performer, the computer repair gal.

A product is usually (but not always as in the case of Software, apps, etc.) something which can be touched and and passed along. Sure, there could be a debate on whether or not software is a service or product, but it is a debate I'll skip. I feel it doesn't matter.

DIVIDENDS on assets, could be as simple as the cash back and or the interest earned on your checking account. It could be returns on stocks, bonds, real estate and other property holdings.

You can make a living doing any of these things. But if your aim is toward a financial freedom the masses don't attain, then you learn how to LEVERAGE your activity, no matter where it fits in.

If you sell a service, say rug cleaning, or moving...you can create leverage through other people. Just one way. You could develop a repeatable system and offer it to others (like headlight cleaning), or you could even set up distributorships and maybe franchises.

Lots of local movers, but TWO GUYS AND A TRUCK have become a major franchise. One franchisee could have several trucks working because he controls a territory. He makes more money with the leverage and control.

The bigger money made is probably by the franchise owner, who sells and collects a recurring dividend in the form of fees and percentages of business.

If you offer a product, you leverage that through distribution, proprietary positions, and contacts. We celebrate Harvey Brody here, who for over 60 years has sold and controlled ONE product (although he owns others) which is the ZOOM SPOUT OILER. He controls this via patents, processes, procedures, manufacturing.

He leverages the distribution by having over 100 major specialty chains who have it on their shelves. Instead of one at a time, his customers may order 10,000 at a time.

Harvey also uses the secret of CONTROL, and has built many a TOLL position for his products, if you want it, you have to go through him.

We've seen scores of business ideas here, in fact, Dien's great newsletter had hundreds of business ideas fleshed out and ready to be put to use, if you were a subscriber, find those old issues and dust them off, some solid gold in them.

The basic of an EXCHANGE OF VALUE, is the TRANSACTION. You could do a single transaction as Dien does when you subscribe to his newsletters or your transaction could be like Harvey's, where a single entity buys thousands of your products.

This is basic stuff, eh? We are looking right beneath the lily pad, but there is a lot more depth below each of these basic concepts. So now, what lesson have I learned from the last 20 years of SowPub.

Well, first, ideas are truly a dime a dozen, or less. There are people reading this who have had good ideas, maybe even million dollar ideas, but they are, as old friend Joe Karbo said: 'too busy earning a living to make any money'.

I've learned most people who think they want to be an Entrepreneur and have freedom, are better off with a job. Along with this, many GIVE UP too soon in their quest. For whatever reason, they stop short of the goal line.

I've learned that too many of us don't take control of our time. We don't set goals, have a system for achieving them, and get too distracted with greener pastures, until the step on all the cow pies and become a Judge, as in the poem MAUD MULLER, by John Greenleaf Whittier who pines for missed opportunities.

For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these: “It might have been!”


Twenty years later. Here we are. Still standing. So I'll dive into the archives, like Robert Ballard, the deep sea treasure hunter, and shine some light on those deeper ideas hidden in the sands of time that have polished SowPub to a repository of useful, practical and profitable information.



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Old February 22, 2019, 10:10 AM
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Default #2 TW and #3 Definitions.

OK. So, you don't get paid for doing nothing. Soon, we will dive into the HOW and the many paths one can take. But first,

people. I don't know of anyone who is truly self-made, especially in IM, albeit many chest thump. Almost all success depends on the people you work with, or surround yourself with.

Some use a number system, some an A, B, C. Whatever, here are the 5 types of people.

1- Family. Often well intentioned but too often judgmental and negative toward your goals. If your family doesn't support your efforts, you are in for a struggle. Make time for loved ones, but if they are negative, NOT DURING work hours.

2- Friends. These want your play time, and those are dangerous to your goals, treat them as family, set aside play time. Other friends encourage, support and may even help you, make time for these.

3- TIME WASTERS. Avoid these like plague infested rats, because they will kill your hopes and dreams. More on these later.

4-Mentors. If you are lucky enough to find someone who will mentor you, then treat them like gold, and avail yourself to their schedule, it may be the best use of time you do in your quest. Mentors aren't paid.

6- Consultants, Experts, PAID. If you hire someone, make sure you check them out and are compatible with them, the best consultants LISTEN first, before they start spouting off their knowledge, which may, or may not be suitable to your needs. Lots of time and money wasted if you hire the wrong consultant.

I'll have more to say on these in my update which I am putting in RED and reflect my OPINIONS only, feel free to challenge any of them.

#3 Definitions. Over the last 20 years, I see a lot of misunderstanding, sort of like on a soap opera or TV show where someone enters the room, sees something (usually a kiss or hug) and makes ASSUMPTIONS which lead to all kinds of drama (as it should in entertainment, but not so much in life).

Here are some examples. PASSION. What does it mean to you? See, one of the great regurgitated pieces of advice is; follow your passion and the money will follow.

But if you have a different definition of passion, than the people you are working with, then things get sloppy and messy. You will find in our archives the story of how my passion dream turned into my alarming nightmare with my golf shop. The nutshell version, I started a very successful golf training business and it not only ate my lunch, but destroyed my life at the time. So, I get the whole passion thing, what many leave out is that once you have turned your passion into a business, then the many hidden details can make you hate the thing you once loved.

TRAFFIC. What is traffic? Millions of people are looking for traffic. I'm not sure what anyone else thinks, but I'm not convinced that eyeballs in and of themselves translate into business. A few years back, I spoke with many businesses which were running ads on billboards, which are expensive in my area. And, most of them never even recouped their money for the cost of the ad, in spite of thousands of eyeballs seeing it every day for 30 days.

That was actually good for me, at the time, offering a DIRECT MARKETING campaign with verifiable results and targeted to TRAFFIC most likely to be interested. Traffic is touted as the key to Internet Marketing success, and there is some truth in that. A good FACEBOOK ad targeted to a niche group with either a passion or a problem (as our resident expert [or soon to be] Dien Rice can 'Amen')...could produce fantastic results.

BUT GETTING the right TRAFFIC is only the beginning, you have to convert them to BUYERS.

Goals. Motivation. Distractions. Focus. All of these have personal definitions, so when you work with other people, you want to get on the same page and have the same definitions for your jargon, the vocabulary of use must share the same definition, otherwise, you will get blindsided down the road.

Lessons #2 and #3 dovetail with 'you don't get paid for doing nothing' because what you decide to DO, will be dependent on other people, people who are either in synch with you and make reaching your goals a pleasure and are good traveling companions...OR, they might derail or sabotage your efforts, or worse, LOVE you to the poorhouse with their good intentions.

Now for the red.

MY list of the 5 types of people is just that, my list, and is arbitrary. You should make your own. FAMILY is the hardest to deal with, especially if they are not business or goal oriented. Most of our families don't get IM or the Internet. But maybe your family does. Great. You have a powerful support system, don't abuse it. When you are thinking about the people you allow in your life, are they helpful or not? If you see they are not, make sure your WORK time is very separate from your leisure time, and train them to know the difference.

I have my own idiosyncrasies which I must deal with, one is SPEED. I'm a fast person; think, talk and act quickly. I have problems with those who are more deliberate, who take time, or talk too slow. Back in the day of the cassette tape, I would have to use the chipmunk speed on some of the most popular of speakers, their slow speech patterns drove me crazy. Guys like Tony Robbins, who go a mile a minute with their talk are much more compatible for me.

You need to know your own strengths and weaknesses, and select compatible people to work with.

Over the last 20 years, one of the biggest TIME WASTERS I encountered was ME. And what I did, especially my morning routine, after writing. Too much checking out forums, reading news, watching kitties and puppies...and even worse, responding to people on other forums who stated absolutes or who had the answer. I am not big on people who are CERTAIN, although it is a magnetic personality trait to so many.

But even though I was a slow learner, I did learn, and have restricted the biggest time waster (me) to very limited amounts of time at specific intervals throughout my day. It is a habit I should have developed much sooner online, and this is my 34th year of online activity, and www since day one.

It was all so new and exciting, and everyday something would pop up and like a summer butterfly in the flower garden, I'd flutter from one thing to another.

So, YOU DON'T GET PAID FOR DOING NOTHING and

Work with other people, but don't let them waste your WORK time.

AND GET on the same page with others, making sure your definition of whatever, is the same as theirs. And now, comes the HOW.




Last edited by GordonJ : February 22, 2019 at 11:31 AM.
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Old February 23, 2019, 11:51 AM
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Default #4 The HOW.

Twenty years ago this year, we started a BUSINESS forum, with the focus being mostly on making money, careers, Entrepreneurship but with a lot of leeway for almost anything.

We learned that some people just can't control themselves when it came to politics and religion, so we took that mostly off the table. Civil discussions are always welcome, but not the CHEST THUMPERS nor the PROVOCATEURS who don't believe in civility.

So we like to talk about the many ways of doing business or making money.

We believe, you don't get paid for doing nothing. Universal Basic Income is still an election or two away.

And, as noted we believe that working with people is necessary, there aren't any lone wolfs who truly did it all by themselves. So working with compatible people is also at the top of our list, and working in harmony, being on the same page, the same team, solving problems in the direction of goals.

So, HOW?

Oh boy, or as the old guys used to say; "Good Golly Molly". Today we are more likely to hear cursing and foul language which is further evidence of the corrosion of civility. My junior high English teacher used to say, when you curse to express yourself, you just reveal your ignorance to the world.

We have a rich language, but I guess some people who curse a lot need to use it to fit in. with their group. Anyhow...

OK, so how? 1001 ways.

Best way to make money is...

the one which suits YOU. To be continued this afternoon. Well, THIS afternoon if my ISP stays up.

One of the biggest mistakes made by would be Entrepreneurs is trying to follow a plan, blueprint or formula which doesn't fit their personality.

We have long advocated a personal approach to building YOUR business, and spending some time to pencil things out, using either MY SQ1 program, or something like Harvey Brody's view from the rooftop, to having goals. Whatever works for you. There are many routes to the top of the mountain, if that is where you choose to go. I prefer staying in the valley selling maps up the trails.

One of the best resources for IDEAS on making money and business is Dien's HIDDEN BUSINESS IDEAS newsletter. It has been almost a decade since he did his books, and the one, 57 $ecret Money Making Ideas is very good example of what a good looking indexed eBook looks like. If we can persuade Dien to release it, albeit almost 10 years old, it has VALUE.

Here are a few of the businesses Dien looked at, but first, MY collection goes way back to George Haylings (505 Odd Enterprises, etc.), Melvin Powers, Jim Straw, Dean F. V. DuVall, Joe Karbo, Jerry Buchanan and many others. Some of the first guys online, other than myself, included Ron Ruiz, Bill Myers, Bud Weckesser, etc. etc. Combined, Dien and I probably have almost everything written about starting a business from home.

Anyhow, some ideas:

Local HOTSHEET for Pet Friendly apartments. One of my kids is having this PROBLEM right now, finding an apartment in the area desired, which allows dogs. I think this could be a very part time, HOTSHEET, simple web page, type of business.

Dien has several ideas for pet lovers, including poop scooper (now a franchise), pet gifts, doggie costumes (10 years ago, somewhat of a novelty, today, a booming business with lot of demand), and the ONE type of dog which could make you a lot of money just by renting him/her out...big demand here too, if you love pets, owning one of these could be a big income op.

Get paid for giving advice. I just reread this in his book, and it is very good, his first suggestion 9.5 years ago, ETHER (ether.com) is still going strong.

A decade ago he wrote about TRANSLATION, and just recently posted something here about starting a translating business, maybe that guy got his idea from Dien long ago???

A decade ago he wrote about how HOT vinyl was getting, and today, a boom in records. Like Glenn Osborn said, Dien is psychic.

I could easily make a long list (and will if there is any interest) of business ideas, from the past 50 years that I've been collecting them, and I like the ODD, unusual, not often thought of type businesses...some, like THE OFF KEY SINGING TELEGRAM business, I've actually done. Others I have witnessed or seen for myself how viable some are.

My take on all this for the last 20 years, is...

I like a "bread and butter", practically auto-pilot income stream which pays the bills and frees up my time, and then pursue other things. I think most of you have something like this going too. Maybe a job (and having a job you like is a good thing), maybe an absentee cash cow, or investments...but what I see over the last couple of decades, most SOWPUBBERS have done many different things. Maybe we do attract the ADD/ADHD crowd, eh?

Or maybe we just like try new things and see what we can do with them.

Gordon

PS. Due to high winds, I've got to hunker down and anchor some things, so I'll be back with more on this, later.

Last edited by GordonJ : February 24, 2019 at 01:32 PM.
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Old February 25, 2019, 10:25 AM
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Default The wind, ice and rain. NO global warming here, eh?

Dien and I have had a lot of different business experiences, my default preference, which has been a lifetime of nuance, is PUBLISHING. Wanted to write and publish since about 9. My old toy rubber printing press turned out a nice 4x6 "Newspaper", hand delivered to about 10 neighbors. News, gossip, and an ad. Something like:

Polly got stung by a bee.
Sue rode her pony at the fair.
Jay will pull weeds. Just yell.

That was about it. It was published as ink supply allowed, after a hard day of weed pulling, I might turn out two or three issues in a day. No work, no press.

I've had the typical childhood Entrepreneur routes too, sold flowers and seeds door to door. Sold Christmas Cards and wrapping paper, GRIT newspaper, then at 15...I began an advertising business with the ACTION AD CLOCKS (story and pics in the archive). I also sold kitchen products from the KRISTEE PRODUCTS COMPANY, and later did very well with the defender of women pepper spray.

Besides my 20 years of various social work, I've taught golf, delivered singing telegrams, wrote resumes...and had a whole bunch of temp jobs too.

But PUBLISHING has always been my cornerstone. When Joe Karbo introduced me to the HOTSHEET, it really changed things up. The story, the Cliff Notes version, is, Joe paid 20 bux a week for a one page flyer for BOATS FOR SALE, which had a price reduction. A limited number, about 200 were mailed out and received a day before the info was made public. It gave Joe and his group time to make a decision on whether to buy a boat or not.

I thought it was a lot of money for a single sheet of paper, but Joe and his pals would have paid much more, BECAUSE it was HOT information.

A HOTSHEET, in my opinion, has a limited shelf life, and limited distribution.

Along with the Yacht and Boat HOTSHEET, he also got a few in the mail for liquidations, close outs and overstocks.
Back then, no faxes even, so everything was done on phone (with expensive long distance) and via mail, the letter.

I've beaten the PUBLISHING horse to a glue like state, and today, the Internet takes the place of much of the "paper and ink" products/projects of days gone bye.

Now, here is something I don't get. And more than a few of you may feel like I'm throwing darts in your direction, well, I probably am.

You are online. You have a computer or access to one. Probably have a smart phone too.

With a place like Rev.com available to you, for 1 dollar a minute, a 15 minute TALK, is easily and quickly converted to text. My last transcription was 20 minutes, and although they ask for 48 hours, I had my text back in about 3 hours of the same day...and it was perfect.

I added some pics, formatted a bit, used some bullet points, emphasis and VOILA a one day INFO product. Nothing earth shattering, but still a PRODUCT which I could sell, or give away, or use for other things...but the point, I had a

PRODUCT. DONE IN A DAY.

And some of you reading this, could, NO, SHOULD do the exact same thing.

But, it is your time, your life, go ahead mosey along now, take your sweet time, get everything lined up, organized, perfected and maybe some day, when you get around too it, you'll have a product.

It is one of the prime reasons I don't consult anymore, nor offer those services...many other people out there to motivate, and coach you to your goals. I don't have the time to wait on people who don't have a sense of urgency about their lives, their projects, their products.

I think URGENCY is one of the prime reasons why some people can get a lot done while other folks, the majority, never get around to getting their one brilliant idea out of their heads.

Anyhow, PUBLISHING is still one of the avenues to consider for your side hustle, full time gig, a now and then thing, or as a hobby even. From HOTSHEETS to books and courses and everything in between.

Try it.

GordonJ

Last edited by GordonJ : February 25, 2019 at 11:04 AM.
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Old March 3, 2019, 11:43 AM
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Default #4A Other HOWs.

In our early days, we had a lot of outside salespeople here at SowPub. These folks were the "shoe leather", direct marketers. There were successful YELLOW PAGE salespeople.

We had a lot of guys selling ads on mugs, restaurant placemats, hotel room menus, daily special menu boards. Others sold products door to door or office to office.

Cookware and cutlery. Cleaning items. We had curb painters and deck washers.

Realtors and chattelers. I loved this place. (Sounds like a Toby Keith song).

Then the roller coaster ride aka, the INTERNET marketing stuff took center stage. This forum came about when eBay was exploding, and making the buying and selling of chattel a BIG DEAL (still is).

We existed BEFORE Facebook, Amazon was still mostly a bookstore. Five years before YouTube. And you will find in our archives, notes, comments and people embracing the new in the pursuit of making a buck.

Many have done well with those and other NEW Internet platforms. And it continues, twenty years later. So many new things, it could be a huge distraction too.

The Making Money, Biz-Op, even the Get Rich Quick crowd have found a permanent and evergreen place on the Internet.

There are so many ways today, to do the HOW, it may be the biggest opportunity the Internet gives us...the OPPORTUNITY to waste time, spin our wheels and get deeper and deeper into a rut.

Today, many early sowpubbers are entering their 60's. They were young 40 ish folks, and there were many in their 30's too.

Twenty years has gone by pretty fast.

What would you tell a beginner? What wisdom would you share with a son or grandson, or grand daughter starting out on the Internet with the idea of making their living online?

Feel free to share.

My advice to the young is DON'T. Make your IM a side hustle. Make it a part time gig. Explore. Don't commit to any one way. Instead, go out in the world, have adventures if you are in your 20's. Get to know how the world works. Take a few jobs. Do different things.

Learn how to balance your checkbook, or debit card. OBSERVE. Then IGNORE much of what you see going on because you are watching self serving distractions.

If they were in their 30's, then the advice would be different, if they were married or starting a family, or if they were single, each a worthwhile track and no right or wrong. The family person needs a stable FOUNDATION, and jobs are OK. Focus harder when on your side gigs.

Single people. OK, you've had your adventures (or should have), NOW get down to business. DECIDE on doing something which gives you the lifestyle you want. Today, you can swing 2 dead cats (oh, the memories) and knock over a dozen people traveling the world, working out of a suitcase, on their phones, with only a laptop...

and doing so from the sandy beaches of Bali, Hawaii, France. And that has an appeal to those younger people. Not so much to us old geezers who can get our own bed sick in a few days on South Beach.

If you are in your 40's. You should know yourself, and again, depending on if you have become a family man or a forever bachelor, it may be the most productive decade of your life.

If in your 50's...friend, TIME is running out on you, and the sands through the hourglass are going much faster.

In your 60's. Probably too late. Historically and statistically speaking, with exception of course, we all love the Col Sanders stories.

So the HOW you choose may depend on your age, is my point. Young people think they have a full tank of time. And maybe they do.

Older people KNOW time is running out.

What advice do you offer?

Based on the above, we can see why different APPEALS work with certain groups, with young males you can't go wrong with their prurient and ego wants. So we see a lot of the FAST CARS, McMansions, boats, bikini clad girls...all things a 13 year old boy wants, even when they are 33.

If there is a universal lesson we've learned here, it is a MESSAGE TO MARKET match works best. Be it online or off. You have to speak the language of your Target and Prospects.

We have focused on making money within the idea of self fulfillment here. Doing a money making activity which may not be a passion, but it isn't a dread either.

One way to look at the potential is via AGE, and it often corresponds with an upward mobility on the Maslow Pyramid.

Another way is via SPEED. Fast money is made by fast transactions. Sell your TV today online, on your front porch, or via an ad on a bulletin board at the supermarket. SUSTAINABLE money takes longer. Ongoing, recurring and so-called passive income takes the longest to set up, with a few exceptions.

Today, there are so many teens, with their popular YouTube channels making tons of money, older people are bewildered. WTF? How can some idiot on youtube do stupid stunts and haul in millions a year? It does baffle us older, albeit maybe not yet mature geezers.

HOW. The answer is yours, and yours alone, it must be personal because we aren't the same. But if you aren't there yet, then consider:

Your AGE.
Your marital status, family.
Location, and if by choice, why?

GOALS. What do you want and why? (The 35 year old SQ1 question which the majority can't answer).

The I N T E N T OF YOUR money making efforts. Speed and fast cash? Longer term? Something to do with your day? A passion or hobby?

If you use the search feature of the forum, in the old forum, you may find some fantastic ideas.

In 2006 we had an upgrade to software, and it pretty much reset the forum to blank, thanks to Dien's archival skills we were able to save a lot of that early work.

Now then, which way and HOW do you want your income coming in?

Gordon

Last edited by GordonJ : March 3, 2019 at 01:09 PM.
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Old March 3, 2019, 02:24 PM
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Default Slop and mess.

I still listen to the many hours of recordings I did with Harvey Brody a decade ago. One of the best things that came out of that for me was, learning about SLOP and MESS.

And once Harvey opened my eyes to it, very clear to see it permeates life at all levels, but especially in the money making realm.

It is today, one of my very first looks at all so-called business or money making opportunities...what is the SLOP and MESS ratio?

No slop and mess? ME buying something, selling it for more than I paid.
ME, creating my own information product be it a report, HOTSHEET, guide or whatever and setting up a simple AUTOMATIC VENDING site.

Add a person, just one, and suddenly I'm having to wear galoshes. Two people between me and the customer, then waders...and more than that, I need scuba gear for all the slop that comes with it.

I basically quit doing affiliate marketing about a decade ago, I think my last Clickbank check came in 2010 or so. When Jim Straw passed, it was the end of about 80% OF my affiliate incomes.

Just too much slop and mess for me. Even today, I do very little, once in awhile I buy a hotsheet and follow a handful of affiliate marketers most of whom bore me to death with their daily emails (yes, I did sign up for them, but doesn't mean I care).

IF you have to rely on someone else doing something, then you have created a little bit of slop for yourself, certainly manageable or so you think.

But, again, today it is one of the first things I look at when considering any business proposal, any income stream or any biz-op.

By my own standards, if I can keep the S&M to under 10%, then I may have a go at it, anything above 20% is an automatic NOT INTERESTED at this point.

During this period of review, I'll go over some of the better lessons I gleaned from my conversations with Harvey and some of the things I learned from the experience working with Ben Suarez and Harvey and with Green Tree Press. Sometimes, the negative things offer up the most positive of life experiences.

Gordon
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Old March 4, 2019, 09:35 AM
Dien Rice Dien Rice is offline
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Default The toll position lesson still holds today!

Quote:
Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post
During this period of review, I'll go over some of the better lessons I gleaned from my conversations with Harvey and some of the things I learned from the experience working with Ben Suarez and Harvey and with Green Tree Press. Sometimes, the negative things offer up the most positive of life experiences.
Hi Gordon,

I can't wait to soak up some of those lessons!

I still think Harvey's "toll position" teachings are some of the most important on the planet! (Though I'm also keen to learn more about Green Tree Press, and any gems from Bud Weckesser's legacy...)

You still see people making the same "toll position" mistakes...

Some friends of mine were making good money selling games as affiliates. They created a website with reviews of the games. They knew how to do SEO so Google would send lots of traffic their way...

Then, a Google update - I think it was Panda - killed their business! People - who were only coming in from Google - stopped coming. And their business stayed dead...

Who had the toll position here? Google did. So Google had the power to kill it...

If they hard started up an email list, for example, they could have built up a following of people they could contact, who could come and buy other games...

But, they never built their own toll position. So they were vulnerable to being wiped out!

People are making the same mistake with Facebook... They build a following on Facebook. But unless they also get that following to follow them off of Facebook somehow - they are also vulnerable to being killed!

If you're an "old timer" on Facebook, you may remember the game Farmville... Everyone was farming, and sending updates to all their friends. Farmville was made by Zynga. In 2011, Zynga was making $389 million in cash flow a year from Farmville and similar Facebook-based games.

But then, Facebook decided to change how they did things - and it killed Zynga's games! In 2014 and 2015, Zynga made ZERO cash flow! Now, they're starting to build back up again...

But the analysis is, who owned the toll position? You know who did? It was Facebook. They owned the platform and the traffic. That's why Facebook was able to kill Zynga's business...

$389 million cash flow wouldn't be too bad...

But, because they didn't own the toll position, they were vulnerable to getting killed...

Harvey Brody's toll position lessons still hold, more than 50 years after he came up with them!

I like to try to hammer this into my thick skull every now and then...

Best wishes,

Dien
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  #8  
Old March 4, 2019, 01:34 PM
GordonJ's Avatar
GordonJ GordonJ is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Posts: 3,471
Default A few other Harvey Lessons.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dien Rice View Post

Harvey Brody's toll position lessons still hold, more than 50 years after he came up with them!

I like to try to hammer this into my thick skull every now and then...

Best wishes,

Dien

Me too. These will be familiar to you, but to the group, we should explore them individually too.

The View from the Rooftop; rungs up the ladder.

Kicking out the chocks, going down the runway.

Iron filings on the table, magnet underneath.

And within the Toll position, some CONTROL ideas.

Pencil out the process. Pick the people you work with carefully.

And healthy eating, thinking and living.

One reason why I like Harvey Brody so much is; he represents the penultimate one man band success story (with some help from family).

He had a business. Many employees. Got to the point the employees were pains he could do without. SIMPLIFIED his business.

Works out of his home. Has a handful of customers. Sells millions of dollars a year of products he owns and controls. Makes a decent profit. He is one of the first millionaires whose work I encountered almost 45 years ago. He is the only one who has had a five decade business running smoothly and without slop and mess (not too much anyhow).

Low key. Flies low, collects the dough. NOT a self promoter like Kennedy, Abraham, and Halbert used to be, although all gave a nod to Brody's guidance and influence.

So his talks were taken seriously, and I not only recorded them with his permission, I took copious notes and although it seemed at time to be a Codec or a crypto type file, his lessons have been invaluable to me.

I've incorporated the VIEW FROM THE ROOFTOP into the Square One Workshops and the POA (pyramid of accomplishment) works similar to the rungs up the ladder...TIME increments going forward.

Harvey goes up the ladder, I go to the right on my timeline, but with the same idea, to see the finished result at the start (bottom of ladder, or at the X on the lifeline, X=NOW).

What lessons stick out for you Dien? I also like the pre flight checklist, before you kick out the chocks.

Probably our best kept secret is the iron filings and magnet, and I think you will agree, neither of us has maximized that lesson, have we?

Gordon

Last edited by GordonJ : March 4, 2019 at 01:53 PM.
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  #9  
Old March 28, 2019, 02:48 PM
Glenn Glenn is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,240
Default You Do Not Get P*aid for Doing NUTHIN - ACTION STEP

Thanks Gordon,

Years ago I was Plagued by people who would buy several
1000 Dollars of my 1 of a kind - 365 Day 100% munny Back NLP Content.

And
on
Xmas.

ASK for all their Moolah Back.

RECENTLY - I have been Watching Marketers QUIT OFFERING a Money
back Guarantee At ALL. WHICH I Refuse to do.

I think it Common Courtesy to REVERSE THE RISK.

INSTEAD.

By
Watching
my Buyers.

We have Take a Different Path.

I NOTICED that The Customers who TOOK ACTION And
Made MASSIVE EXTRA P*ROFITS with my NLP S*Ales Systems.

ALSO - Sent in one or more LOTTO TICKET TIPPING Testimonials
and Pay It Forward STORIES.

AND those who asked for REFUNDS (And Did NUTHIN)
Did not or Could Not TAKE ACTION to Give away Munny.

HUH?

So with a Push from Dan Kennedy - And his Mentor-on-top--of-the-Mountain
Psychology.

We Flipped things Around to say:

"ONLY VIP INNER CIRCLE MEMBERS who have Successfully
Passed our Golden Rule Test MEANING You Thank Reward LOTTO Tip a Waitress
BEFORE they bring the food and Email ME with Your Results
(MORE DETAILS At www.NLPBrainBuzz.com)
Are
ALLOWED
TO
B*UY
ANYTHING from me.

It has Worked So Well over the past Decade - EXCEPT when I violate my own
Rules and allow someone to B*UY - Before They Qualify. AND sometimes Have to Give a REFUND.

THAT TODAY.

In Every Ezine I Write.

At the Bottom - Just in front of the PRODUCT ORDER LINK I say:

"ONLY VIP's Allowed to Order.

"VIP ONLY.

BUT Really when you Think about it.

IF a Prospect Cannot SELL MUNNY.
Cannot or WILL Not Give Away Money a 1.00 and say THANKS.

It's
SLAM DUNK CERTAIN
They
Will
Not
Be Able to Take Action on more Difficult Stuff.

By "SELL MUNNY" I mean - If you walk up to a Stranger and Try to Hand them a 1.00 Bill - They will Think you are going to ATTACK them.

Or LOOK for Candid Camera.

Or as happened to a man selling
gas dr to dr in Canada - Who NEVER Learned to Get Rapport First.

(EDITORS NOTE - I was INCREDULOUS!)

The waitress Went
and got her Manager - When he tried to Tip her a 1.00 Before
the food was served and ASKED HIM TO STOP BOTHERING HER WAITRESS.

And he was Asked to LEAVE The Restaurant!
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  #10  
Old March 29, 2019, 11:26 AM
AlexB
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: 20 years of sowpub. The best lessons. #1

Great tips!
Quote:
You don't get paid for doing nothing.
I remember I was reading The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ Demarco. This is, by far, one of the most popular books on making money today. The idea is quite simple. The more value you deliver, the more money you make. Less value, less money.
You're doing nothing - you're making no money. Just an equation.
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