Using Personality in Your Copy

Uncategorized | Posted by tripp
Jan 25 2012

One of the most effective ways to make your marketing sizzle, and to make real connections with your customers and clients, is to add your personality. The fact is, customers prefer to do business with people whom they know and like – not nameless and faceless corporations.

Personality works. It will multiply your sales. What is personality? I think it is best described as humanizing your marketing – taking away the sterile corporate approach. Consider the all-too-common approach to many sales letters:

“It has come to our attention that your account is now blah, blah, blah.” You can imagine how fast that letter will hit the circular file! Now try this next sample on for size, and see if you just might hold the attention of the reader for a little while longer. “I was just sitting at my desk writing my next column and my secretary came running in, waving an invoice. She told me that it is highly unusual for …” Get the idea?!

If you would like to add some personality to your marketing, here are four things that you can do to help make you a better writer.

1. Read as much as you can. You should find time to read every day, even if it is for 10 minutes before turning in!  Read everything from sales letters to e-zines, newsletters, books, ad copy, direct mail, etc. The more you read, the more you’ll learn different ways to express yourself in writing.

2. Write more. There is just no way to get around it – to become a better writer, you have to write – and often! As with most things, the more you do it, the better you’ll get at it. You might want to consider starting a blog, which will force you to write at least two to three times a week in a way that, while important, is not as critical as a sales letter.

3. Read out loud. It’s amazing how different your own writing sounds when you read it aloud instead of reading it silently. This is a great way to find your actual “voice,” which you then can transfer to writing.

4. Mirror your favorite writers. Not only is imitation the sincerest form of flattery, it is a smart way to learn how to become a better writer. In the Glazer-Kennedy world this is known as S&D.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, personality works! I was recently hired to help write a client newsletter in which our strategy was to deliver something very different from the typical corporate brochure. We wrote the copy in the voice of an older woman who was a long-term employee of the company (which in this case was actually true!).

When the first issue was mailed, the reaction was phenomenal. The company received well over 100 e-mails praising the newsletter, saying that it was a breath of fresh air and fun to read, and that they looked forward to the next issue. Being in the newsletter business, I can tell you that that is not a typical reaction – personality sells! Even if you incorporate only a few of these tips, you should start to see a shift in your own writing. Before you know it, your personality will start shining through, and with it, you’ll start to see more clients, more sales, and more profits.

Jim Palmer, The Newsletter Guru, has been writing and designing newsletters for clients in just about every industry for nearly 30 years. If you’re ready to boost your profits by increasing your repeat and referral business, get Jim’s FREE e-course, The Awesome Power of Newsletter Marketing, at http://www.nohasslenewsletters.com

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So What’s Your Story?

Uncategorized | Posted by tripp
Jan 18 2012

I’m a great believer in the power of stories.  If you look at all the recent stories of breakthrough products and services of the past five years, you will uncover a missing ingredient that is seldom talked about and almost never shared among marketers. When it’s shared in a public setting, it’s met with skepticism and disbelief. For engineers, its heresy of the worst kind. What is it?

It’s the power of story to help your customer understand the strength of your innovations to change the way the world operates.  It’s a rare individual who evangelizes their ideas in a way that fits into their customers’ world view. Steve Jobs was a master of the good story. When trying to understand success of Apple in the past five years, it’s easy to believe that their technology that made them a breakthrough business. My engineering friends tell me that is just not true. They have good technology, but they have great stories and innovative design.

So how do we create good stories? I’ll share what I’ve uncovered over the past 20 years on creating great stories.

The first rule of good story telling is that the story must allow the listener to see themselves in the story. It’s not enough to be interesting; it must allow us to enter the world of the storyteller. We must be willing to set aside our own beliefs long enough to become part of the story. We must be willing to invest ourselves in the story, no middle of the road here. I want you to be engaged in the story.

The second rule is the story must make me aware of a problem I have. I want to know that the story teller really gets me. Somehow, they have come into my world and uncovered what’s really bothering me, what’s keeping me up at night. They understand the pain and are able to connect with me on a gut level.  Good stories allow me to connect with a larger group who has similar problems. People want validation on what they are experiencing in real time, not yesterday, not in the future, but right now. We all secretly want to know we are not the only people who can’t use all the functions on our mobile phone or new digital camera.

The third rule is the story must have an incredible ending. The ending must not only provide a solution to my problems but must provide me with the intangibles I want. I want this problem solved and I want the solution to provide me an intangible that I might not even know exists or that I want. The solution provides me with membership into a community or idea that makes me feel good about my decision to solve my problem with your solution. What is interesting about this part of a good story is if you can provide me with a solution that can show both results and makes me cool you’re even more likely to create a raging fan in the process. There have been so many great products that have changed our lives that we didn’t see the need for them before we bought it.  Once we get the product or service we can’t imagine living without it. If you create a great story for your products and services you will be surprised how quickly your story becomes a legend. . . and after all, if you’re telling a story you want it to become a legend don’t you?

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Selling Online, Selling Offline: What’s the Difference?

Uncategorized | Posted by tripp
Jan 12 2012

Ever since I created Unlock The Game™, one of the first questions people always ask me is,
“Does Unlock The Game™ apply to online selling?”

I’ve been holding off on answering that question because I wanted to get enough experience under my belt with my own online business so I could answer this from an authoritative position.

My answer is, “For the most part, yes — but with some differences.”

Those of you who fully understand the philosophy behind Unlock The Game™ are well aware that the core of everything I teach is based on the elimination of all sales pressure from the selling process.

You also know that the single most powerful way of eliminating sales pressure is through authentic language — in other words, replacing traditional sales language
with the most natural dialogue possible, which creates almost instant
trust between two strangers.

This is exactly where online selling differs from person-to-person “offline” selling. In selling online,
you don’t have the opportunity for that natural two-way dialogue. People come to your site and
are exposed to a one-way reading of your message, which can feel impersonal.

Check it out for yourself. If you look at 9 out of 10 website home pages, what do you see?

Online variations of the standard sales or cold-calling script: “We are … and we do …”

Why is this a problem? Because these sites are offering their solutions long before visitors can have any sense that they are being understood, and long before they feel any sense of trust in what they’re seeing.

Visitors come to sites because they have a problem in mind and are looking for answers.

It’s easier than you might think to solve the problems of one-way communication, impersonality, and lack of trust.

All you have to do is put yourself in the position of your site visitor, articulate their specific issues or problems, and gently offer solutions that they can choose without feeling as if they are being “sold.”

Here are some simple ways you can warm up your site so you get as close as you can to a natural two-way dialogue:

* Remember the “Written Word” module from the Self-Study Program?

Beware of over-using “I” or “We” on your home page or at the beginning of your written message.

For example, rather than immediately pushing your product as the first thing visitors see on your home page, use language that addresses problems you know you can solve.

State those problems, and you’ll find that your visitors are drawn more deeply into your site.

* Create a clear path through your site that lets visitors
make their own decisions about what’s best for them.

* Give your visitors a taste of your solutions so they can feel
that you can actually solve their problems or issues.
Downloads, “test drives” and other “free samples” give visitors the
live experience of your solution and make them feel more comfortable with it.

* Last, and maybe most importantly: I’m always surprised by how few
website owners seem to actually want to communicate with the potential
customers who visit their website.
But…have you ever gone to a site to order a product or service and
ended up calling the toll-free number instead?
Have you ever thought about why you did that?
Maybe it was because you could ask questions of the live person
who took your order, and this increased your sense of trust.

So…make yourself available to site visitors by having a Live Chat or Push To Talk button
(see below) on your website.

Talk directly with visitors to your site as they enter the virtual world that you’ve created for them.

There’s nothing better than a two-way dialogue to humanize the online experience.

I enjoy it so much when visitors click on my Live Chat or Push To talk button,
and we establish that all-important personal connection.

Try it on your site. You’ll love talking to your website visitors
because you’ll be able to help them solve their problems.

To Your Success,

Ari Founder, Unlock the Game

Ari Galper, founder of Unlock The Game, makes selling painless and simple. Learn his free sales secrets even the sales gurus don’t know. To receive your 10 free audio mini-lessons visit http://www.UnlockTheGame.com

 

 

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Now That’s Customer Service

Uncategorized | Posted by tripp
Jan 05 2012

For a lot of people, fountain pens are a thing of the past, old fashioned and out of date. For many more, they are the preferred writing utensil. And, then there are those who just don’t know because they’ve never had the privilege of writing with a really nice fountain pen.

A few years ago my best friend bought me my first fountain pen as a gift. It was beautiful and love at the first instance of putting pen to paper. There was just one problem . . . if the pen wasn’t used for more than a few hours, the ink would dry up and unless it was put through a complete cleaning process it was not useable. That quickly became more hassle than it was worth.

After checking online and with several regular users of fountain pens, and investing in other fountain pens, it became obvious that the first fountain pen had something wrong with it, because none of the other pens were a problem. Instead, they were a joy to write with, and pretty soon, a fountain pen was just about the only pen that could be found on my desk.

The first fountain pen had very special meaning since it was the first and more importantly a gift from someone very special. I simply put the pen up and sort of forgot about it until one day I opened my pen case and saw it there.

Some 18 months had passed by now, but I decided to call the company and explain the situation to see what would happen.

Surprise, surprise, the customer service person on the other end of the phone was clearly listening to the challenge and offered a brand new pen. Well, being not only shocked and surprised, but now the sentimental side kicked in and I questioned whether or not to take her up on the generous offer.

Finally, after deciding it was silly to keep a nice fountain pen I couldn’t use laying around due to sentimental reasons, I agreed to let them send me a new pen.

No sending the old one back before they would send the new one, no hassle, no fuss, no muss, no nothing. Just a nice, apologetic lady on the other end of the phone who wanted to replace the pen with a new one, totally at the company’s expense. All I had to do was get the new pen, put the old one in the box, attach the label they were sending and call to have the box picked up or drop it off at the local shipping store.

Thrilled doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling of elation!

Unfortunately, the new pen ended up doing the same thing as the original one. So, it’s now sitting on the shelf, looking pretty, but not really functional.

Still shocked at the great customer service I got when I called the first time, I just don’t have the heart to tell them I’m having the same problem with this one. Since the customer service is so good, I do buy other things from this company – just not their fountain pens.

Can you do things so well in your company that your clients will forgive you just because you do other things so well and they love you for those? My bet is you can, and should – after all we all make mistakes at one time or another and somebody is going to get upset with us. Hopefully, we can all have great customer service . . . and outstanding products to match.

For more great marketing & business strategies and your free CD “The 9 Key Building Blocks To Building Your Business” go to http://www.CompleteMarketingSystems.com or call (866) 293-0589.

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Conclusion of Making Your Goals Count in 2012

Uncategorized | Posted by tripp
Dec 30 2011

The first section of this article looked at preparing for the new year by evaluating and reflecting and looking at your dreams and goals. Now, let’s get SMART about your goals and become accountable for achieving them.

3. S.M.A.R.T. Goals. S.M.A.R.T. means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive.

I really like this acronym S.M.A.R.T., because we want to be smart when we set our goals. We want to intelligently decide what our goals will be so that we can actually accomplish them. We want to set the goals that our heart conceives, our minds believe and that our bodies will carry out. Let’s take a closer look at each of the components of S.M.A.R.T. goals:

Specific: Goals are no place to waffle. They are no place to be vague. Ambiguous goals produce ambiguous results. Incomplete goals produce incomplete futures.

Measurable: Always set goals that are measurable. I would say “specifically measurable” to take into account our principle of being specific as well.

Attainable: One of the detrimental things that many people do – and they do it with good intentions – is to set goals that are so high they are unattainable.

Realistic: The root word of realistic is “real.” A goal has to be something that we can reasonably make “real” or a “reality” in our lives. There are some goals that simply are not realistic. You have to be able to say, even if it is a tremendously stretching goal, that yes, indeed, it is entirely realistic — that you could make it. You may even have to say that it will take x, y, and z to do it, but if those happen, then it can be done. This is in no way to say it shouldn’t be a big goal, but it must be realistic.

Time: Every goal should have a time frame attached to it. I think that life itself is much more productive if there is a time frame connected to it. Could you imagine how much procrastination there would be on earth if people never died? We would never get “around to it.” We could always put it off. One of the powerful aspects of a great goal is that it has an end, a time in which you are shooting to accomplish it. You start working on it because you know there is an end. As time goes by you work on it because you don’t want to get behind. As it approaches, you work diligently because you want to meet the deadline. You may even have to break down a big goal into different parts of measurement and time frames. That is okay. Set smaller goals and work them out in their own time. A S.M.A.R.T. goal has a timeline.

4. Accountability (A contract with yourself or someone else). When someone knows what your goals are, they hold you accountable by asking you to “give an account” of where you are in the process of achieving that goal. Accountability puts some teeth into the process. If a goal is set and only one person knows it, does it really have any power? Many times, no. At the very least, it isn’t as powerful as if you have one or more other people who can hold you accountable to your goal.

So: Evaluate/Reflect; Decide What You Want; Be S.M.A.R.T.; Have Accountability. When you put these 4 key pieces together, you are putting yourself in a position of power that will catapult you toward achieving your goals.

Let’s Do Something Remarkable in 2012!

Jim Rohn

This article is excerpted from the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan. Take advantage of our special offer and begin receiving the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan, starting at only $9.97 a month! To learn more or to hear Chris Widener has to say about the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan or to join Chris and Jim Rohn as part of the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan and to participate in this Special Introductory Offer, go to http://oneyear.jimrohn.com or call 800-929-0434 for more information.

To read previous articles, quotes, and Q and A from the Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine Archives, or to get a complete listing of Jim Rohn’s books, audios, videos and seminar schedule, or to place an order; please go to: http://www.jimrohn.com or call 800-929-0434 M-F 8:00-5:30 CST.

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Making Your Goals Count in 2012

Uncategorized | Posted by tripp
Dec 28 2011

As we enter into this New Year we all tend to have a heightened sense of the opportunities and possibilities that 2012 can bring. The need for goal-setting becomes more obvious and clear. And the great thing about goal-setting is you can keep it as simple or get as elaborate as you would like. In fact, we have dedicated one month in the One-Year Success Plan solely to the subject of goal-setting and have over 125-pages in the One-Year Plan workbook of exercises on this subject. Space and time won’t allow that here, but below are some abbreviated points on goal-setting for the New Year.

I’ve often said the major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get. That is why goals are so powerful – they are part of the fabric that makes up our lives. And goal-setting is where we create our goals.

Goal-setting is powerful, partly because it provides focus. It shapes our dreams. It gives us the ability to hone in on the exact actions we need to perform to achieve everything we desire in life. Goals are GREAT because they cause us to stretch and grow in ways that we never have before. In order to reach our goals we must become better. We must change and grow.

Also, goals provide long-term vision in our lives. We all need lots of powerful, long-range goals to help us get past short-term obstacles. Life is designed in such a way that we look long-term and live short-term. We dream for the future and live in the present. Unfortunately, the present can produce many difficult obstacles. But fortunately, the more powerful our goals (because they are inspiring and believable) the more we will be able to act on them in the short-term and guarantee that they will actually come to pass!

So, let’s take a closer look at the topic of goal-setting and see how we can make it forceful as well as practical. What are the key aspects to learn and remember when studying and writing our goals?

1. Evaluation and Reflection. The only way we can reasonably decide what we want in the future and how we will get there is to first know where we are right now and what our level of satisfaction is for where we are in life. So first take some time and think through and write down your current situation, then ask this question on each key point – is that okay?

The purpose of evaluation is two-fold. First, it gives you an objective way to look at your accomplishments and your pursuit of the vision you have for your life. Secondly, it is to show you where you are so you can determine where you need to go. In other words, it gives you a baseline from which to work.

I would strongly encourage you to take a couple of hours this week to evaluate and reflect. At the beginning of this month we encourage you to see where you are and write it down so that as the months progress and you continue a regular time of evaluation and reflection, you will see just how much ground you will be gaining -and that will be exciting!

2. What are Your Dreams and Goals? These are the dreams and goals that are born out of your own heart and mind. These are the goals that are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. So second, make a list of all the things you desire for the future.

One of the amazing things we have been given as humans is the unquenchable desire to have dreams of a better life, and the ability to establish goals to live out those dreams. Think of it: We can look deep within our hearts and dream of a better situation for ourselves and our families; dream of better financial lives and better emotional or physical lives; certainly dream of better spiritual lives. But what makes this even more powerful is that we have also been given the ability to not only dream but to pursue those dreams and not just pursue them, but the cognitive ability to actually lay out a plan and strategies (setting goals) to achieve those dreams. Powerful!

What are your dreams and goals? This isn’t what you already have or what you have done, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down and thought through your life values and decided what you really want? Have you ever taken the time to truly reflect, to listen quietly to your heart, to see what dreams live within you? Your dreams are there. Everyone has them. They may live right on the surface, or they may be buried deep from years of others telling you they were foolish, but they are there.

So how do we know what our dreams are? This is an interesting process and it relates primarily to the art of listening. This is not listening to others; it is listening to yourself. If we listen to others, we hear their plans and dreams (and many will try to put their plans and dreams on us). If we listen to others, we can never be fulfilled. We will only chase elusive dreams that are not rooted deep within us. No, we must listen to our own hearts.

Here are some practical steps/thoughts on hearing from our hearts on what our dreams are:

Take time to be quiet. This is something that we don’t do enough in this busy world of ours. We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us. The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to peer deep within. It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams! Schedule some quiet “dream time” this week. No other people. No cell phone. No computer. Just you, a pad, a pen, and your thoughts.

Think about what really thrills you. When you are quiet, think about those things that really get your blood moving. What would you LOVE to do, either for fun or for a living? What would you love to accomplish? What would you try if you were guaranteed to succeed? What big thoughts move your heart into a state of excitement and joy? When you answer these questions you will feel GREAT and you will be in the “dream zone.” It is only when we get to this point that we experience what OUR dreams are!

Write down all of your dreams as you have them. Don’t think of any as too outlandish or foolish – remember, you’re dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.

Now, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not just dreaming.

Join us for the second half of this article on Friday, December 30.

This article is excerpted from the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan. Take advantage of our special offer and begin receiving the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan, starting at only $9.97 a month! To learn more or to hear Chris Widener has to say about the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan or to join Chris and Jim Rohn as part of the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan and to participate in this Special Introductory Offer, go to http://oneyear.jimrohn.com or call 800-929-0434 for more information.

To read previous articles, quotes, and Q and A from the Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine Archives, or to get a complete listing of Jim Rohn’s books, audios, videos and seminar schedule, or to place an order; please go to: http://www.jimrohn.com or call 800-929-0434 M-F 8:00-5:30 CST.
Making Your Goals Count in 2012 by Jim Rohn (Excerpted from Week 7 of the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan – S.M.A.R.T. Goals by Jim Rohn), Part 2

The first section of this article looked at preparing for the new year by evaluating and reflecting and looking at your dreams and goals. Now, let’s get SMART about your goals and become accountable for achieving them.

3. S.M.A.R.T. Goals. S.M.A.R.T. means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive.

I really like this acronym S.M.A.R.T., because we want to be smart when we set our goals. We want to intelligently decide what our goals will be so that we can actually accomplish them. We want to set the goals that our heart conceives, our minds believe and that our bodies will carry out. Let’s take a closer look at each of the components of S.M.A.R.T. goals:

Specific: Goals are no place to waffle. They are no place to be vague. Ambiguous goals produce ambiguous results. Incomplete goals produce incomplete futures.

Measurable: Always set goals that are measurable. I would say “specifically measurable” to take into account our principle of being specific as well.

Attainable: One of the detrimental things that many people do – and they do it with good intentions – is to set goals that are so high they are unattainable.

Realistic: The root word of realistic is “real.” A goal has to be something that we can reasonably make “real” or a “reality” in our lives. There are some goals that simply are not realistic. You have to be able to say, even if it is a tremendously stretching goal, that yes, indeed, it is entirely realistic — that you could make it. You may even have to say that it will take x, y, and z to do it, but if those happen, then it can be done. This is in no way to say it shouldn’t be a big goal, but it must be realistic.

Time: Every goal should have a time frame attached to it. I think that life itself is much more productive if there is a time frame connected to it. Could you imagine how much procrastination there would be on earth if people never died? We would never get “around to it.” We could always put it off. One of the powerful aspects of a great goal is that it has an end, a time in which you are shooting to accomplish it. You start working on it because you know there is an end. As time goes by you work on it because you don’t want to get behind. As it approaches, you work diligently because you want to meet the deadline. You may even have to break down a big goal into different parts of measurement and time frames. That is okay. Set smaller goals and work them out in their own time. A S.M.A.R.T. goal has a timeline.

4. Accountability (A contract with yourself or someone else). When someone knows what your goals are, they hold you accountable by asking you to “give an account” of where you are in the process of achieving that goal. Accountability puts some teeth into the process. If a goal is set and only one person knows it, does it really have any power? Many times, no. At the very least, it isn’t as powerful as if you have one or more other people who can hold you accountable to your goal.

So: Evaluate/Reflect; Decide What You Want; Be S.M.A.R.T.; Have Accountability. When you put these 4 key pieces together, you are putting yourself in a position of power that will catapult you toward achieving your goals.

Let’s Do Something Remarkable in 2012!

Jim Rohn

This article is excerpted from the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan. Take advantage of our special offer and begin receiving the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan, starting at only $9.97 a month! To learn more or to hear Chris Widener has to say about the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan or to join Chris and Jim Rohn as part of the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan and to participate in this Special Introductory Offer, go to http://oneyear.jimrohn.com or call 800-929-0434 for more information.

To read previous articles, quotes, and Q and A from the Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine Archives, or to get a complete listing of Jim Rohn’s books, audios, videos and seminar schedule, or to place an order; please go to: http://www.jimrohn.com or call 800-929-0434 M-F 8:00-5:30 CST.

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Merry Christmas A Leadership Parable

Uncategorized | Posted by tripp
Dec 22 2011

When you think about the effect that Jesus Christ had on the world, it’s amazing. Thirty percent of the world’s population today is Christian. That’s 2.2 billion people. I’m often asked why he was so successful in sharing his beliefs. When you consider his teaching was done in the space of three years it’s even more remarkable. Some would say miraculous. I’m not so certain it’s the miracles that make Jesus the Christ. As serving leaders, we can learn much from these three years. Since its Christmas, I thought I would share what I think Jesus did to become one of the most influential people of all time.

1. He was a strong leader. He thought character first, not charisma. He built a strength based organization that allowed his followers to use their own gifts and life experiences. He allowed people to be who they were and then created roles that would match well with their personalities. He helped his people to develop their strengths and work together in teams. He understood the value of every person. He was one of the world’s first leaders to embrace the power and potential of female leaders. His female followers made sure that the message and stories were passed on from generation to generation. They brought the traditions into their homes and communities to help create future Christian leaders. Many of my friends in the ministry tell me how their mothers shared Christ’s story at an early age. They made sure his values were not only taught but lived in their homes, no matter what the economic condition of the family.

2. He understood the value of simple message. When he developed his message, he thought of who would be receiving it. His message came from all he was, but included all the listeners could be. Many of his earliest followers were fishermen and he used stories and metaphors that they would understand and they could pass on to others. Other followers came from varied backgrounds and educations and he charged those people for carry his message in their own unique way. He didn’t force people to sit down and learn many rules and practices. He made it simple for his followers to understand their past while embracing a brighter future. During this time the Romans were crucifying hundreds of people every day throughout the Roman Empire. These were dark times for many people. How to share this message so that it survived beyond his life and works? He always brought it down to simple ideas and used stories to make his points. He spent much time with his earliest disciples teaching them the power of stories and faith.

3. He understood change works in fits and starts. He recognized that as much as people wanted to embrace his teaching, many would falter along the path. As a good leader, he knew that some were not ready for the changes he suggested. He understood forgiveness and the power of creating a culture that could embrace difference and leverage similarities. Not always easy when people would turn on him. He suggested a radical approach to human relationships. Love one another. It doesn’t sound that radical today to due to the work of artists, poets, and song writers, but in his day it was unheard of. During his time there were hundreds of messiahs walking the streets with promises big and small. Christ understood that his message must be supported by creating organizations that would support each other even in the most challenging of times. He had to know the changes he was trying to institute would cost many of his followers their lives and those of family members. Understanding how painful change is he offered tools to help others deal with the change. He taught us to pray, to love, and to forgive and to rise again. These simple tools empowered his followers. It helped create a community that lives beyond their lifetimes.

And finally, Christ understood what it meant to be human. To feel the many emotions that humans feel from joy, love to fear. He was aware that people are always doing the best they can in any given situation. He chose not to judge in their weakest times but to rejoice in their greatest triumphs. This is a great lesson for leaders of any generation. Help people to be the best that they can be and they will seldom fail you. It’s why we still celebrate his birthday over 2000 years later. It is a mistake that Jesus is only for the many, he is about the power of one person to make a difference in the world.

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Conclusion of The Power of the Mastermind

Uncategorized | Posted by tripp
Dec 15 2011

The first part of this blog explained what a Mastermind group is. This second half explains how to use a Mastermind group to achieve its full advantage.

Having supportive accountability partners is a must if you want to keep your goal in mind and achieve that goal. It is imperative that you don’t give up at the first hurdle or the fact that realising your goal is taking longer than you expected. Most people do and all they are doing is making a decision to quit! This is important because most people blame outside circumstance for quitting but really they have ultimately made the decision to quit.

Being a member of a mastermind group offers you support at times like this and by staying the course you will start to see results. This helps you to concentrate your focus on your goal which in turn develops more action and more results! It also allows you to be of service to others by giving your time and expertise in helping them to achieve their own goals.

Procrastination is a great enemy of goal achieving and when you are on your own it can be very hard to keep motivated. By being a member of a mastermind group you can rely on the other members to keep you motivated with ideas of solving the problems behind your procrastination. Once you start to feel this motivation take effect there really is no stopping you from taking action.

I have the privilege of facilitating a mastermind group and one of the members is an experienced financial planner. He explained to the group that he had good clients who wanted to see him and do business with him. But he felt that he couldn’t deal with the new technology and business process systems that were now required and as a result he was making excuses for not seeing his clients. He was suffering from procrastination and an empty wallet!

I’m glad to report that within 4 weeks of joining the group the other members had helped him to make a complete turn around and he now regularly writes $15,000 of business every 3 weeks and rewards himself with a 1 week holiday somewhere different in the world every 4th week!

So if you are suffering from procrastination, a lack of purpose or you want to realise your dreams and goals in life then joining a mastermind group could well be the best thing you have ever done!

You deserve to succeed, expand and create in life after all that is our purpose! It is so much easier when you have an alliance of likeminded people rooting for you! Make a decision today to take massive action to Invest in yourself and join a mastermind group today!

Martyn Green, VP Global Development for Mastermind to Personal Power, sees his purpose is to coach Individuals, Businesses and their Employees to develop, grow and succeed in everything that they want to in all areas of their personal and business life. He will link people with their individual purposes by sharing knowledge and educating them with this knowledge that they are ultimately the masters of their own destiny. You can find Martyn at http://www.mastermindtopersonalpower.info to reserve your seat around the table. We will answer your questions after the MasterMind meeting and we look forward to meeting you in person after the meeting.

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The Power of the Mastermind

Uncategorized | Posted by tripp
Dec 13 2011

Napoleon Hill introduced the world to the concept of the Mastermind in is classic book “Think & Grow Rich” In it he explains the Mastermind as…
“The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.”

He continues …

“No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind [the master mind].”

Master mind groups have been around for hundreds of years helping people to make great changes in their lives, other people’s lives and even nation’s lives.

Three men created a Mastermind group that would give rise to the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, their names were Samuel Adams, John Hancock & Richard Henry Lee. They were the real Fathers of America. They and 53 others signed their names to this important document which set a chain reaction of power that gave inevitable victory to George Washington and his armies.

The power of the Mastermind when utilized properly is very potent and can be used for any purpose. Andrew Carnegie developed the huge United Steel Corporation of America through his teams of Mastermind groups.

MasterMind to Personal Power was created through the power of the Mastermind and is today helping individuals to form their very own business organizations through the power of the Mastermind gaining freedom in all areas of their lives.

So what exactly is a Mastermind group……

A Mastermind is a group of like minded individuals who share a common interest. They are willing to meet with each other on a regular basis and assist in supporting and holding each other accountable to reaching their goals.

The key to the success of the mastermind group is the fact that it consists of between 5-6 likeminded people who get to know each other on a regular basis preferably weekly. By meeting weekly it allows the group to get to know each other more quickly and develop trust for each other. Once this trust starts to blossom and develop the group begins to really gel and share all of their hopes dreams and aspirations.

This is a very important process because this allows people to start to share their goals with feeling and in great detail. Once each member has shared their goals not only does it reinforce the goal in the members mind but it also allows the other members to brainstorm through ways of achieving goals and getting around any obstacles that may appear.

It also allows the person sharing the goal to become accountable for reaching their goal and with the positive support of the other members gives them the impetus to develop the necessary action steps to achieve their goals!

This is the first part of an article on using Mastermind groups to their full advantage. Come back to read the second half on Thursday morning here at Market Leadership Journal.

Martyn Green, VP Global Development for Mastermind to Personal Power, sees his purpose is to coach Individuals, Businesses and their Employees to develop, grow and succeed in everything that they want to in all areas of their personal and business life. He will link people with their individual purposes by sharing knowledge and educating them with this knowledge that they are ultimately the masters of their own destiny. Go to his website at http://www.mastermindtopersonalpower.info to reserve your seat around the table. We will answer your questions after the MasterMind meeting and we look forward to meeting you in person after the meeting.

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Finding Your Extraordinary Partnerships

Uncategorized | Posted by tripp
Dec 08 2011

One of the most rewarding partnerships you can create is with a non-profit organization that can use your skills to enhance and expand their reach in the community. Most non-profits are eager to work with those that bring business skills and knowledge to their groups. Study after study has shown the benefits of volunteering both for the organization and the volunteer. Volunteers are healthier and happier than their non-volunteering counterparts. The key to making it an extraordinary partnership is finding the right organization.
Tips to Finding Your Match in Non-Profits
Finding the perfect non-profit for you requires some time and effort, but it’s not difficult. Here are some things to think about:
• What is your passion? The first step in identifying the right place for you is to look at what you are passionate about. Do you have a soft spot in your heart for animals? Know someone suffering from a particular illness? Do you want to help those less fortunate? There is no shortage of organizations that need your help. You need to decide who you most want to help.
• Is there a local branch? Once you decide where you want to donate you time, you need to determine how to donate it. Can you work with them online or does the organization need someone that can provide face time? Most organizations can use people both in person and spreading the word online, if that’s where your skills lay.
• What are the politics like? Non-profits are like any other organization of people. There is frequently a political hierarchy. There are a few people that do most of the work and a few people that get most of the credit. Make sure that you know how the organization is organized and if you can live with the people and politics. It’s one thing to deal with prima donnas for your paycheck. It’s another thing entirely when you are volunteering your time.
• Can you live with doing the worst jobs? Volunteering for a non-profit isn’t all about the annual charity ball. Sometimes it’s getting down and dirty cleaning the dog kennels or emptying bedpans, or whatever is the worst job for that particular non-profit. An organization needs people willing to do whatever needs to be done, when it needs to be done. Make yourself an asset and be willing to be the go-to volunteer. Sometimes that means getting dirty. A volunteer that only does the clean jobs isn’t much help at all.
• Are you dependable? Not only do non-profits need people to do the lousy jobs sometimes, they also need people that follow through and do what they say they’ll do. If you have difficulty following through on commitments, or think, “Hey, it’s not like I’m getting paid to be there,” don’t volunteer and waste everyone’s time.
• Are you willing to take a leadership role? Volunteering is a great way to get out of your comfort zone and expand your skills. Be willing to step up and take on assignments that might be more than you’ve done before. Whoever did the job before you is usually willing to give you a hand in learning the ropes. And just think how that will look on your resume.
• Can you afford to volunteer with that organization? A non-profit status doesn’t mean no money changes hands. It just means there’s no money left at the end of the year. Some organizations require you to join and pay dues or a membership to help out. With others, some people spend a lot of their own money to make sure the organization can help as many as possible. Do you have the monetary resources to join the group?
These are a few of the questions you can ask yourself to make sure you join the right non-profit group for you. Many organizations are out there, needing your time and help to succeed in their mission. Find the right group so you both come out winners.

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