Rich's current Twitter status:@mariaandros Happy Birthday Maria!
In my last blog post, I talked with you about how the live 24 hour Ustream video broadcast played a MAJOR part in the success of our GPS Coaching Program launch.
In fact, it almost overshadowed everything else--to the point where we had to scramble to make some last-minute tactical changes to the launch sequence.
The video broadcast was bigger than any of us had ever imagined. I even suggested that you put one together to promote your own business, and several of you chimed in to say you were planning to do exactly that.
Well, as it always goes in this business, what was once groundbreaking has now become the norm...
Because in the past several weeks, I've seen a number of marketers announcing their own Ustream broadcasts.
They're seeing the tremendous potential to reach thousands of viewers at once. And they realize how easily it can be done (not to mention the fact that it's FREE).
So these action-takers are running full speed ahead. And it only goes to prove the point I was making with Silver Bullet #6 inside "The Uncertainty Syndrome: Entrepreneur's Emergency".
You remember that one, right? (waiting while everyone scrambles for their copy) Okay, I'll let you off the hook...
Silver Bullet #6 talked about embracing the awesome power of social psychological marketing. And the Ustream broadcast portrayed this perfectly in several aspects...
Some of those comments were funny, some rude, some outrageous, and some completely inappropriate. But the very fact that you could instantly talk with a thousand other people about something that was happening RIGHT NOW was truly remarkable...and more than a little frightening.
Because if a few of you didn't like what I was saying, you could respond with negative comments. Which might have led to a few more jumping in. Then a few more. And before you know it, we might have had a virtual Rich Schefren hate-fest going on.
But in the same respect, it could go the complete opposite direction. All it takes is a few people to become raving fans, and others will follow. This turns into a mass of die-hard believers who will eat up any word you say. And before you can say Barack Obama, you've achieved maven status in your market.
(Not to say I'm an Obama fan, but social marketing has played a MAJOR part in his lightning fast rise to prominence...and very well may get him elected President).
We wanted to make this very simple and straightforward. So we opened our offices (and our lives) to the world while answering some questions and directing viewers to download a free report.
But as the word got out to what I was doing, it spread throughout the IM world and brought thousands of curious visitors our way. And once they got there and saw all the others chatting inside, they felt like they were a part of the group.
So this was social marketing in its purest form--pulling thousands together to create an event that generated a monster buzz that pulled EVEN MORE thousands into the group.
When the Manifesto hit the web and became an overnight sensation, we were suddenly inundated with a tidal wave of "manifestos" from every conceivable angle and niche.
Copywriting. Traffic generation. Blogging. Email marketing, You name it--somebody wrote it. A few of them even blatantly ripped off my design, making only minor changes before publishing it as their own.
So we knew we were onto something big. And we got that very same feeling after signing off from the broadcast.
So what should you takeaway from this?
Simple--take full advantage of the social marketing landscape and the opportunities it presents you. And don't be afraid to try something new, something different.
For example, when I was pondering the manifesto idea, more than one prominent marketer told me I was out of my mind for handing out all that powerful info for free.
"Are you CRAZY, Rich?, they cried. "You can get 97 bucks for this easy--if not more!"
But I had a revolutionary idea: Give it away, build a following of die-hard believers, then market to those people.
And guess what? It worked out pretty darn well. But it didn't happen with just one person. Or two. Or even two thousand.
It happened with ALL those people telling ALL their friends how much they dug the report. And they told theirs. And so on. And so on.
In other words, social marketing gave my manifesto life....and that life has changed me and my business forever.
Same deal with the 24 hour Ustream video. When somebody threw it out there on a pre-launch brainstorming call, I heard more than a little chuckling. In fact, somebody began comparing me to Jerry Lewis and his telethon.
But the more we fleshed it out, the more potential we saw this thing having. And the more we started loving the idea...
Next thing you know, we've got 27,000 people logging on to watch me barrel through 26 hours of non-stop Q and A. And they gobbled up every minute of it.
See what I mean?
And what's really cool about all this is we're not stopping there...
Right now, we're testing some new, breakthrough technologies inside our GPS coaching program. And the initial reports are all thumbs up!
Soon, the word will get out and social marketing will kick in once again. And just like that, everyone will be using this stuff to help establish their name and grow their businesses.
Kind of like a content-rich free report. Or a 24 hour online broadcast.
So tap into what's at your disposal and pump it for all its worth. Because Silver Bullet #6 may just lead you to a GOLD MINE.
To Higher Profits,
Rich
P.S. How's social marketing working for you? Are you experiencing some mind-blowing results? Or do you find yourself still struggling with Constraint #6--following the same outdated marketing tactics?
Let me know in the comments section below. I'd love to hear your story.
Today we’re going to shift our attention for a moment…from getting the attention of your market… to giving attention to your business for maximum profits.
Here’s why: I have a unique teleseminar recording for you that’s going to give you an insider’s perspective into my early days… before the creation of Strategic Profits.
Even better - I’m going to introduce you to one of the men
who played a pivotal role in my writing of The Internet Business Manifesto, the most downloaded Internet business report in history.
Introduced to me by Jay Abraham he’s influenced me greatly… from the way I hire staff… to the way I manage and run my entire business.
The man I am talking about and that you now have a chance to hear is Chet Holmes.
To cut to the chase - you guaranteed to hear some brilliant business principles to grow your business. And at least a few major “Ah-ha” moments, that you can act on immediately.
Then set aside an hour or so and be prepared to take a lot of notes.
If you’re like me, you’ll want to post Chet’s “Four Ways to Double Your Sales” on the wall in your office… and refer to it regularly.
To Higher Profits,
Rich Schefren
P.S. Chet’s “Best Buyer Strategy” can dramatically change your business and your life. So don’t miss a word of it. And when you’re done, come back to my blog and let me know your thoughts.
A little over a year ago I left an internet marketing seminar feeling disheartened, disillusioned, and disappointed by what I saw. In fact, I was so disturbed I wrote a warning, a prescription for change, a call to arms for entrepreneurs online - The Internet Business Manifesto.
That's why it's rather ironic that I am writing this post from my hotel balcony in Sydney, Australia, once again disappointed, depressed, and disturbed by what I witnessed yesterday at an internet marketing event I participated in.
There were 16 speakers, many of whom were clients of mine. It was an impressive lineup of self made entrepreneurs who got to their current position by learning, thinking, working hard, and marketing even harder.
Yet table rush after table rush were for so-called "short-cuts" like Private Label Rights Products, Push Button Software, And you just sit at home and get rich while my company does all the hard work for you type products.
Not one person speaking from the stage got to their current position by any of these methods. You would think that the audience would see that. But if you did, you would be wrong.
Last week I got a massage.
It was different than any massage I ever received (which is why I am telling you about it). It reminded me of a key distinction between my most successful clients and those that seem to continually struggle.
The masseuse (I’ll call her GP for short) discovered a big knot in my shoulder and asked me if I work in front of a computer. I said I did and I'd been spending a lot more time typing than I usually do. (The reason for my recent marathon typing sessions is the new report I'm working on. I'm sure it will open people’s eyes just like the Internet Business Manifesto did last year. More on that later...)
The conversation with GP drifted to how many hours a week I work, what I do, and what I do on the weekends.
When she heard how much time I took out of my schedule for fun and time with my family, she was surprised at how I'm able to squeeze in everything. Her response was not unusual at all. In fact, whenever I explain my schedule I'm always greeted with envy first, followed quickly by confusion, then wonder at how I'm able to live my life so well.
Being polite, I asked GP about her schedule. Her answer absolutely horrified me… GP had been working seven days a week for the past 6 months with no days off and no vacations. At first I thought I had misheard her, but I hadn’t. Six massages a day, day in and day out, for over 180 days straight.
She making six figures – but she’s living her "life" based on a faulty assumption I see entrepreneurs making far too often.
Look, even though I’m only 36 years old, I’ve already retired twice. Yet, today I am typing this note to you from my office surrounded by 12 exceptional employees. What happened?... Why the hell am I still working?
The reason I work today is: the whole concept of ‘Retirement’ is fundamentally flawed. The idea that you should sacrifice the best years of your life hoping to discover magical happiness in your later years doesn’t prove out at all. It’s just an old-fashioned theory you’ve been sold – and all you have to do is look around to prove to yourself how unrealistic it is.
In case you didn’t know… only a very small percentage of seniors can actually retire. Nowadays most are forced to work to supplement their income. And the trend is only getting worse. With the recent collapses of private pensions and the continual decrease in purchasing power of social security, many experts have come to the same conclusion…
“I don’t think were going to see another generation that’s going to fully retire. There's going to be a lot of people that are going to continue to work for the rest of their lives.” Doug Lockwood, Retirement Specialist, Harbor Lights Financial Group.
But what’s even worse is this sort of “hoping it will be better later” dramatically decreases the likelihood you’ll ever achieve the success you desire.
Soon I’ll tell you why this is. But for now you need to think about the answers to these two questions as you go through your day:
What if you could never retire?
What if the way you choose to work today would set the pattern you must continue until the day you die? What would you be doing differently?
Let me know your answers to these two vital questions by posting your comments here:
And if you think you know why this reduces your chances of overall success, tell me why.
Then be on the look out for another message from me… because I’m going to tell you how to dramatically increase your chances of success AND at the same time enjoy your life a whole lot more than you do now. Interested?... Stay Tuned….
To Higher Profits
Rich Schefren
Last night I got lucky. No, it's not what you think (remember I am happily married) - here's what happened- I was in San Francisco yesterday preparing for my upcoming client seminar Feb 10+11.
Anyway, I took the red-eye flight from San Francisco to Atlanta cause I am speaking this weekend at Jim Edwards' seminar here in Atlanta.
Well, I am not much for sleeping on planes - it's actually one of the best places for me to get work done because I am strapped in and the only other alternative to sitting and working is going to the bathroom.
Back to how I got lucky.
The person sitting next to me was a successful entrepreneur whose name you'd recognize if you read even half the number of business books I do. So I introduced myself, and to my surprise he actually knew my name and had read the manifesto. (Apparently it's been passed around in a lot of circles outside of internet marketing which is why we still have over 100 people a day opting in to get a copy!)
We passionately shared our insights about small business, big business and where an entrepreneur fits into the process. We agreed on many things - but there was one especially important point he told me about, that he'd figured out after his second success, which I didn't realize it until my third success.
That's what I want to share with you today.
He said he knew he was really an entrepreneur when he started his second business - when his aspirations were to one day be the Senior Vice President in charge of acquisitions. When I pressed him to clarify what he meant - he told me that all the excitement for him comes during the startup phase and that he hates having to create all the structures and processes needed to build and grow the business. So, by his second business he decided he wouldn't do that all himself and instead he would get the business going and then bring in the right CEO, President, and people to work it -- until the business grew so successful that he only served one small role in the company -- the one that was once just an idea in his head to head up acquisitions.
I was struck by how similar our experiences were because I had a similar shift when I started Strategic Profits. I knew my current role, in the content creation side and coaching successful entrepreneurs, was what I wanted to do the most and that the day to day operations, marketing, etc., would be handled by my superstar team. And it's happened...
If you are a real entrepreneur this should sound very appealing to you. You get to do more of what you want as you build and grow. Plus, as my company continues to grow and I see our profits climbing, I also notice that my calendar is getting lighter and lighter. The company that my ideas gave birth to is now grown up enough to take care of itself without me shouldering the bulk of the day to day load - actually it has already started to take care of me.
And this gives me tremendous freedom. Which is the whole reason I am entrepreneur in the first place - to create and be free.
Two weeks ago I was reminded of how important freedom and fun are to me. Yanik Silver, Mike Filsaime, and yours truly went on a special flight called a Zero-G flight. It's an incredible experience where you get to feel true weightlessness.
After the experience, Mike Filsaime and I were talking about how much fun we had and how important it is to make time for fun. We also promised each other we would make sure to plan a few extra fun experiences for 2007.
Think for a second. When was the last time you really had fun? Not just a giggle, but when you had a big stupid smile stretched across your face and you were laughing and feeling like you did when you were just a kid playing?
If it's been over a month - then you've got to ask yourself: Why am I working so hard? What position do I aspire to have in my company? And what could I put on my 'to do' list that would be incredibly fun?
I've got more to share with you about what I was doing in San Francisco and the plane ride but I've got to run right now. Check back on Monday.
To Higher Profits
Rich
Hey Guys,
I hope you're doing well!
And I hope you're implementing some (or hopefully MANY) ideas from my recent reports.
Now as you probably know by now, the launch was NOT what I expected.
As usual, I'm writing something up that I think you'll find very interesting (which you can then turn into business profit).
I don't want to go into detail here, but what I'm about to reveal will be something that you've never heard from a well know marketing personality.
It's all about analyzing what works and what doesn't.
And facing the current reality can be one of the biggest challenges that any business owner can have.
So for now, please review the Internet Business Manifesto, The Missing Chapter, and The Final Chapter.
If you study these documents carefully, especially the sections on planning and strategy, then you may be able to discern what's coming.
To Higher Profits,
Rich Schefren
P.S. The main lesson in this post is that there are probably things in your business that you're not "owning up to". These might be problems or issues that you just don't want to face. They must be addressed. Your profits will thank you for doing so.
Hey Guys,
As you can probably imagine, my office has been getting HAMMERED with phone calls and emails regarding the Final Chapter.
The MAIN question people are asking is, what's the deal with your next program, and how can I get in?
Up until now, I've been TRYING to keep it under wraps.
I REALLY want the ideas from the Final Chapter to resonate with everyone. I want people to take their business to next level.
And I STRONGLY believe the Manifesto trilogy can do tha
t.The many, many emails and blog posts I've seen are FILLED with brilliant observations and insights on how to grow a business.
But since the doors to my office are CAVING in, and my staff is tired of answering the same questions over and over, I need to address the issue RIGHT now, once and for all.
So here's the OFFICIAL statement:
YES, I'm introducing a new program on November 1st @ 4:00PM Eastern Time (mark your calendars).
...and yes, it's going to be my best program to date.
Now as you know, I've made the transition to working with Agora nearly full time, in addition to working with my current clients.
But there is MASSIVE internal debate going on about the program.
Everyone involved, (Early To Rise, Strategic Profits, and my Internet Marketing Guru friends) ALL have different ideas on how to make this program the greatest program EVER to be offered.
Here's the main issue, and I'm hoping you can help me out.
The program that is coming up on November 1st is going to be a hybrid program. It's based off the knowledge and experience of the world's most successful direct response business, Agora Publishing.
Agora (more specifically Early To Rise) is essentially a goldmine of business building knowledge. I've been mining their wisdom for a while, and even with my background and experience, I still can't find an end to the mine shaft.
So that leads us to the issue at hand. We have what we believe is a VERY strong foundation for an INCREDIBLE program.
It's called the Internet Wealth Alliance and it's built around four fundamental principles. Briefly, they are:
1. List & Relationship Building: The cornerstone of any online business that has longevity. We'll show you the most powerful ways to build a list, from the pros who have more names than any other direct response business in existence. Absolutely no one else can claim that. We're talking millions and millions of names here.
2. Alliances and Joint Ventures: You can't do it alone. You need alliance partners to expand the market and to leverage the efforts of others. You understand this already, especially if you've read any of my work. But in this program, we'll show you how to develop powerful alliances, and even facilitate joint ventures between members, and potentially (IF it's a good fit, Early To Rise).
3. Market Analysis: It's important to provide the market what they want. This program will teach you how to find and develop your niche, and (this is UNPRECEDENTED) share some of our marketing experiments for you to see what's hot and what's not. This program will teach you advanced competitive intelligence, and go into great depth on how to setup a front-end that works. Agora is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars per year on market tests. Sharing some of these results with you is valuable BEYOND calculation.
4. Proven Direct Response Models: To top things off, even if you know how to build a list, in the right niche, and have access to the right joint venture partners, that doesn't guarantee success. Case in point, the big Internet gurus. Even THEY are doing things backwards. This fundamental cornerstone will teach you how you can build a multimillion dollar profit model that works, and works VERY, VERY well.
So there you have it, the four cornerstones of the program, complete with a panel of experts to guide you through every step of the way.
Everyone I talk to says this program WILL be the HOLY GRAIL of Internet Marketing programs, since it's grounded in real world experience (and success) that is second to none.
But I STILL need to know one thing in order to feel that this program has everything it needs in order to go down in the history books as a massive success.
What is the ONE question that you absolutely need to have answered, in order for this program to be THE best investment of your life?
Please answer this one question, by commenting below.
More than ever, I am looking forward to your important feedback.
Warm Regards,
Rich Schefren
P.S. As far as the contest goes, you guys are off to a GREAT start. You can learn a TON just from reading all the brilliant responses on the blog. So keep the entries coming. I have a few favorites, but I'll be looking for a few more over the next several days.
Hey Guys,
I have some exciting news!
The Final Chapter has JUST been through the last phase of editing, polishing, and waxing.
It's FRESH out of the oven and it's ready to be DEVOURED.
In all seriousness, I'm confident this document will send SHOCKWAVES through the Internet marketing community. I realize it’s VERY cliché to say that it will become a 'MUST-READ' but the fact is...this is some of my BEST work to date.
The thing is, some of the concepts that I present in the Final Chapter are for ADVANCED marketers, and those who crave a better business model.
Even if you're NOT a seasoned pro, THAT'S OK, because this document will provide a profitable foundation.
I actually think it's MORE important that you read it NOW, because the marketplace is changing VERY rapidly, and it's important that you understand what's happening, if you desire BIG time profits.
So without further ado, feast your mind on "The Final Chapter," of the Internet Business Manifesto Trilogy.
To grab your copy, please visit: http://www.strategicprofits.com/finalchapter
I can G.U.A.R.A.N.T.E.E this document will be worth at a MINIMUM, 10x more than the last ebook you bought.
After you take a look at this report, please let me know your thoughts by posting a comment on the blog.
Warm Regards,
Rich Schefren
PS - If you haven't read The Internet Business Manifesto and/or The Missing Chapter you need to. You can get both right here: http://www.strategicprofits.com/manifesto
Hey Guys,
I've got some GREAT news. In just a few days, I'll be releasing "The Final Chapter" of the Internet Business Manifesto trilogy.
I'm ABSOLUTELY convinced that this third and final installment is my BEST work to date. I've been showing off the ROUGH draft to some of my inner circle friends and they all think I'm NUTS to be releasing it for free.
But, like I said before, I'm NOT going to leave anyone out in the cold, even if you couldn't afford my exclusive coaching.
Now I'd like you to take a minute and think about what has changed in your business since you read the original Manifesto and the Missing Chapter.
It will reveal some DEEP insights into your personal approach to business, and what you need to CHANGE in order to be successful.
So leave a comment on this thread and let me know how things are progressing for you. It will be a good exercise for you, because it will force you to closely analyze your progress over the last three months. It will also help me tailor the remainder of the upcoming "Final Chapter" to address your most pressing issues.
Warm Regards,
Rich Schefren