Bruce Hoag
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For me, failure is a noun that describes an outcome that’s less than what I was working towards.
I know that I have to reframe it to mean something else, but a lifetime of thinking doesn’t go away overnight.
Perhaps you, Sean, or others in the forum have some ideas about what worked for you.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I’ve pretty much stopped making New Year’s resolutions.
For one thing, January 1st or 2nd is just another day. Why wait until then to make a change?
Another reason is that the beginning of the year may not be the best time to do it. Did you know, for example, that the best time to start a diet is in May? That’s probably because it’s when the weather warms up sufficiently for people to start getting outside again.
A third reason is that, for me anyway, it creates an added psychological pressure. Some people thrive on that sort of thing. I’m not one of them.
So what I try to do is to prepare myself mentally and emotionally for the change I want to make, and then start chipping away at it. By chipping away, I mean taking small manageable steps. Collectively, they build up momentum, and if it can be maintained for a couple of months, then a new habit is formed and the rest pretty much takes care of itself.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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RescueTime.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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You’re in good company, Susan.
Any time I have a technical issue, this is what my days look like.
Everything seems to be predicated on everything else.
My dad had a saying: “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get!”
Some days are like that.
If you’re not technically savvy, then I’d abandon MailChimp. I’m not, and that’s why I left them after less than a month.
MailerLite is a lot simpler, and there are others.
Willie’s question about expensive autoresponders has a lot of discussion of various alternatives.
You might get some ideas in there.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Good question, Sean.
All I know is that I’m unique.
You know that, too, and not just because God created unique people.
I really do think very differently from most people. And the questions – always the questions. 😉
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Apologies for the confusion, Les. It’s embarrassing when a writer can’t make himself/herself understood. LOL
What I call the “default” format is the one that you naturally do; the one that you gravitate to.
Even though you don’t yet have a free product, you can still think about this. In fact it will benefit you to do so.
You’ve said that you’re thinking about doing a video presentation.
Why?
Why video and not a PDF, or an audio recording?
What makes you choose one format over another?
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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When was the last time you checked the links in this book?
I “randomly” clicked on several and found the domains were for sale or got warnings about the sites being unsafe.
Thought you’d like to know if you happened to be giving this to people on your list.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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Tina, You said:
“Email 3: Ask them about the ebook … connect with them? Do they have any questions how they can connect with you ie email, facebook, phone etc. Still no sell but link it to what you are going to show them in the next email”
What did you mean by ” . . . link it to what you are going to show them in the next email”?
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Unless I’m mistaken, the only way you’ll find out is by the percentage of people who buy it compared to the number you would normally expect.
When you’re doing something that no one has done before, you have to determine that yourself.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I consider my ideal customer to be the person whose needs most closely match what I can offer.
And when you look at it like that, then things like their demographics seem irrelevant.
It could be that they will share some things in common, such as they all understand English, but this won’t necessarily be true all the time.
Let’s choose an extreme example.
Suppose your target market consisted of millionaires. There are kids who have achieved that and adults of a variety of ages.
If you narrowed your ideal customer to things like aged between 30-50, then you’d miss out on a large number of possible customers.
Focus on finding the people who have a problem that you can solve.
The rest will take are of itself.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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Sean will tell you that the platform is your list.
That’s how you came to buy products from him.
It’s why you’re in this forum.
The thing about using your own list is that you control it.
ClickBank controls theirs, and JVZoo controls theirs, as well.
There’s no telling when or what either of them, or anyone else for that matter, will do.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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I just realized that if you can determine how you will change the world, then you’ll be able to complete the first step in Sean’s Core Implementation Model.
Must be more important than I thought. 😉
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Some of what you say is true, Les.
As long as you can persuade your prospects that your solution will solve their problem better than anyone else, and that you’re capable of delivering it, then you don’t have to be a professional writer to get that message across.
The point, however, is that doing so is likely to be done more effectively by someone who is, than it is by someone who isn’t.
In another post, I referred to the value of the various tasks that we all do.
There are $/£10 tasks, and $/£100 tasks, and $/£1000 tasks and $/£10,000 tasks. Most people think of these things in terms of how much value they contribute to their businesses when they do them. And it’s true: You should focus on doing those tasks that enable you to deliver the most value to your bottom line.
There’s another way to look at these tasks, however.
When you take time away from the most valuable tasks to do things which are outside of your expertise, you may be spending (losing) $/£1000 or $/£10,000. That’s because you used the time to accomplish those high value tasks to do things that had lesser value.
In other words, you were penny-wise and pound foolish. The opportunity cost exceeded what you thought you saved.
Opportunity cost is something you learn about in business school. Can’t say that I’ve ever seen it discussed in the IM world.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I must do what I plan to do. It’s just amazing how many little, unimportant things arise.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Thanks for making this so clear, Galel.
What you’ve said has made me realize how easy it is to get caught with the romance of changing the world while losing sight of the fact that it’s made up of individuals.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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I’m with you, Norma.
It seems like many who make videos and audios struggle to get to the point.
A PDF lets you read through it quickly.
That said, Sean has pointed out that people tend to place a higher value on audio and video, which is why it’s good for products.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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Remember that “best” is relative. What’s best for one won’t be the best for another.
If you have perfectionist tendencies, the striving for best will become an obstacle; not a solution.
Sean taught me that the “best” medium to use is the one that you can do the fastest and easiest. That’s because whatever you start doing you’ll have to keep on doing; and the reason for that is because each medium will attract its own audience. If you start out with video, for example, then you’ll attract people who want video. If you then switch to audio because video turns out to be too much of hassle, the people who expected video from you will lose interest.
So it’s really important that you choose a medium that’s easy for you, because you’re going to have to stick with it in the long term.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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I have an iPhone, but I deleted the Facebook app because it used up too much bandwidth. I still have Messenger on the phone though.
Do you have to have the app to make it work?
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Donna, the articles section is now at the bottom right of the Pal Core Access page, though it is still being developed.
But you have, what I believe (and what Sean has taught) is the right answer.
The format should be the one that’s the fastest/easiest for you to produce.
That means that any format is up for grabs.
If you type fast and can do stream-of-consciousness thinking, or can write quickly from a brief outline, then that’s the way to go.
If you’re like Sean and create an outline in a few minutes and then talk for an hour, then audio is perfect.
I’m sure that there’s a fast way to do video, though I could do with some enlightenment in that area.
Thanks again for your comments.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
That’s a good start, Tina.
Now think about it from your perspective.
If the customer didn’t care, what would you do?
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
This is great, Malik.
The lady was trying to tell me that I had to use my cell phone to get the video to work. I couldn’t understand why it wouldn’t work via the computer.
I’ll revisit your reply on Monday, when I’m more awake.
Thanks again!
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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If you tend to see connections – questions – that others don’t, then it could be that, like me, you prefer to receive information in what we call a “random” manner.
It would require a separate post to explain that, and I’m not sure that it would necessarily benefit people in the forum; but what you’ve described suggests that that may be the reason.
Assuming that it is, I can tell you from personal experience that learning the IM road will be harder than for those who naturally think in a linear fashion.
(You can PM me on this if you like in the Members section.)
The thing that you’ll have to really discipline yourself to do is to put blinkers on, and focus only on what Sean tells you to do.
You’ll have to force yourself to suspend all the other questions floating around in your mind. If you don’t, then like me, it will take you a lot longer to get everything up and running.
If what I’ve described doesn’t sound like you, then you can ignore most of what I’ve said. 😉
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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You know, Les. When it became clear that I didn’t know what to do, she wasn’t forthcoming with any suggestions.
And that being the case, it seemed pointless to ask.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
As you’ve probably discovered, Les, the love of learning can be an asset and a liability.
It’s great at the beginning because you’re willing to persevere when others falter but, as you’ve discovered, there comes a time when you have to do something with it.
You already know about Sean’s 10 x 10. I suggest that you start with that. And it doesn’t have to be 10 x 10. It could be 12 x 5 or 20 x 6 or some other combination.
You may find, as I have that there are 10 things to talk about under one point, but only 8 under another.
It doesn’t matter.
What the exercise does is it helps you to organize what you know.
Once you can see that, it should be a lot easier to decide what to do next.
Right now, I suspect, you feel overwhelmed by all that you know and, more importantly, all there is to know.
So you need to back away from the latter and organize the former; and as you do that, the next step will become clearer.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
You’re probably right, Jen.
It’s probably I who lacks the confidence when it comes to sales copy. I haven’t done that much.
But your suggestion has given me an idea for an article for another place in this forum.
Thanks!
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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That schedule looks pretty good, Jen.
One suggestion, if I may. I read recently that if you put out your exercise clothes the night before, then when you get up in the morning, they’re staring you in the face.
That might be enough to make you want to do it.
There have been days when I’ve put on my cycling socks. Unfortunately, that’s sometimes as close as I got. 😉
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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This is the best way to do it, in my opinion, Jen.
Stuff happens, and some things take longer or even less time than you planned.
I’ve noticed that if I schedule times, that they can actually interfere with work. That’s because I’m distracted by what time it is.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that if I set precise times, I tend to overestimate how much I can get done, especially on Saturdays. And so what happens is that things I added almost as an afterthought suddenly take on huge importance. And when that happens, the important stuff gets put off.
Lately, I’ve been setting an alarm on my phone, and then turning off the screen.
That has helped.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I was about 20 at the time, so only an adult-neophyte. LOL
If you haven’t read them, these two books will help you to be on your guard: The 7 Triggers to Yes by Russell Granger and Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini.
Sean recommended both of these to me.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
You’re right, Les, about the need to look after yourself when you’re sick.
The thing I was trying to draw out of people was that, as Norma has said, the nature of what we do is isolated.
Hardly anyone, and sometimes that means us, too, understands what we’re doing.
It’s not as though we can ask our neighbor to keep an eye on things for a few days so we can rest.
And if you’re business isn’t sufficiently mature, then you have to keep your hand on the tiller regardless.
All of us get sick, have surgery, or have to deal with emergencies of what kind or another. I just wanted to hear from people how they dealt with their businesses in those circumstances.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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I know that it’s been rough for you lately, Norma.
The solitariness is much more acute online, too. It’s not as if people are physically coming to your place of business every day. And all of us need some contact with people from time to time.
There’s so much potential in this forum.
It’s just possible that some loose “partnerships” will be formed.
I hope, too, that those who are within a reasonable proximity of one another will make the attempt to meet in person.
Take care of yourself.
We’re here for you.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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Good choice, Bob.
Sean will keep you focused like no one I know. 😉
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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Yvonne, years ago I worked for a short while in a cannery.
Your experience reminded me of that.
I was surprised to see that the same vegetables went into the same cans, and it was only at the very end of the line that the different labels got put on them. 😉
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
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This is probably for later, when I have a proven track record.
At the moment, I just have a lot of writing experience: Probably 400K words online, first author (I wrote every word) of a 99K-word hardback, some ebooks, narrative of a half dozen business plans, manual (highest marks from IG team) while I was in the USAF, PhD thesis.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Really helpful, Julia. Thank you.
Never would have thought of these things because, as a writer, I just do it.
I know what I’m looking for, how to structure the content, what flows, etc.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I’m taking copious notes from your comments, Julia, and the others.
One thing I forgot to mention is my other site: Psych Hacks.
I usually refer potential clients there so that they can see if they like my writing style. It means that they get to see a lot of content in one place, and I’m not producing “samples.”
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
These are interesting questions, Julia.
In a nutshell, I ask the potential client a few questions that tell me a lot about what they want.
The first one is, “Who’s your audience?”
The next one is, “What do you want your readers to do as a result of reading this?”
There are topics I prefer and ones that I’ll stay away from. In most cases, I learn more about what’s required before I make a decision.
What your questions have done, however, is remind me that I need to prepare a bit better for when the opportunities do arise.
Thank you.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
It’s a funny thing, Jen.
I know what I do well, but I don’t know how to package it.
Sean told me one time that I was the best writer he knew. He also told me (many times) that people needed my help as a psychologist.
So the plan is to build the business in writing, but incorporate the psychology into it, and then when I can figure out how to package the psychology, offer it as well.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
🙂
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Really helpful, Tina.
One thing that I have to guard against is turning the email into an essay. LOL
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
It all seems so obvious when you explain it.
Sometimes I can’t see the wood/forest for the trees. 😉
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
If you can create a product that quickly, then that’s the way to do it.
That’s because it will be exactly what people want.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
That kind of consistency is important, Susan.
It means that you’re getting closer to what you’re looking for.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Donna, if what you do works for you, then don’t change it.
But, if you think that you could be more productive, then start by reading this book: The Power of Full Engagement, by Jim Loehr. (Sean put me onto this book.)
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I don’t know how anyone can cycle and think about anything else except cycling.
There’s cadence, gears, terrain, and sometimes cars to think about.
And research has shown that those who concentrate on their exercise while they do it benefit from it more than those who do it mindlessly or while thinking about something else.
That said, Richard Koch looks to be a lot fitter than me. LOL
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I laughed out loud when I read this, Susan, about lying down in a coffee shop.
Tim Ferris (Four Hour WorkWeek) describes how he has done just that, but only for 10 minutes. (He deliberately embarrasses himself so that he isn’t phased by other times.)
I do get your point though.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
When I was a kid, my parents put some blue stuff on my thumb that didn’t taste very nice.
You should try it. 😉
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Loreen, it sounds like you might have the basis for a Masters thesis.
Have you thought of researching and testing this correlation?
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
What do you dislike so much about WP, and what platform do you use instead?
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
Something I hope to get busy on soon – how’s that for a definite maybe? – is to write a Kindle book. Planning to watch Tom Corson-Knowles’ videos on how to do it.
Are you familiar with him, Norma?
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy
