Perhaps you’re an existing subscriber just checking in to see what’s up… perhaps you read or heard about my book, “How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers”… or perhaps you just stumbled over here the way we all seem to find new sites – seamlessly guided by the invisible hand of the internet, while clicking from one interesting item to another.

In any case, if you’ve read my book or if you’re already familiar with me, then you know I’m a big advocate of very frequent communication between you and your list.

And yet… if you look at the dates, it’s been 10 months since the last time I posted anything on this blog… and if you look around, there is no “list” to sign up on, anymore.

So, what’s the deal?

The answer is simple:

People change.

Thats it. Boring, but true.

See, over the last few years I came to a couple of conclusions:

1. I really like consulting with clients and writing ad copy…

And fortunately, after working with over 300 clients in more than 105 industries (so far)… I am quite busy doing just this, through a steady stream of referrals, and from people who’ve either read my book or heard about me somewhere online.

2. After doing this for far longer than I wanted to do… I realized I absolutely did not like being an online “guru”

Yeah, I know most people would love to be a guru, but it’s just not for me.

And here’s why: Before I share this with you, we need to take a little detour through our brains.

See, every one of us – and yes, that means you and me, too… are all driven by both intrinsic and extrinsic values.

Intrinsic values are those values which determine your moral code. Things like how you love, your work ethic, how you treat your wife and children, how you behave with your waiter versus your boss or your clients… these are your intrinsic values.

They’re basically your moral governors and they determine the part of your self-worth that has nothing to do with anything but how your feel about yourself.

Extrinsic values, on the other hand, are inputs and feelings that come from outside of you. They’re the portion of your self-worth that comes from things outside of yourself.

Now hang in here with me for a minute, and we’ll get to the point of all this in just a second.

In order to be a serious rock-star “guru”… the truth is, you need to place a very high level of importance on the extrinsic value of “other people liking you.”

And if this is one of your core extrinsic values… this need to be liked gives you tremendous motivation to be in the limelight.

In other words, if you look at all the really good, really big rock-star gurus – in any field… they’re all ego driven and in general, driven by how much people like them.

This is why you see all these folks consistently doing things like:

Being very present on social media:

And almost always coming from a firm position of authority and omniscience, several times a day.

For instance, they’ll drop quotes on you like “Whenever there is trouble outside, look inside for the answer.” (I have no idea if this is a real quote or not, I just made that up because it sounds like some kind of deep shit gurus say on social media)

Things that make it sound like the guru has their shit together and you as the reader might not.

And I don’t mean that with any disrespect, at all. Some people have big egos, and others don’t – and there’s nothing wrong with either one.

I have plenty of really good friends who have big egos, and they are kind, sweet people. I just want to be clear that I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with having a big ego.

But that is just not me, at all. Not even remotely.

And there’s no way I could ever drop “pearls of wisdom” down on social media, because I am fully aware I do NOT have my shit together, lol. I’m an ongoing work in progress, I assure you…

Being “on,” all the time:

In other words, not really separating their business from their personal life. It’s all one big show, and for these folks, the show goes on all day long…

And by the way, I am not judging any of these behaviors one way or another. I am certainly not in any position to judge – nor, frankly… do I care enough one way or another, to judge.

These are just characteristics people have… No different from liking chocolate over vanilla, or sushi over a burger and fries.

However, here is why I am mentioning this.

Over the last few years (since my book was first published in 2009), I came to the very honest conclusion that I didn’t like doing ANY of these things, at all. And therefore I HAD to get out of doing this “guru” thing.

For instance:

1. Although I’m very gregarious, friendly and easy to talk with… I’m not driven by how many people like or dislike me…

I mean, don’t get me wrong – I don’t want people to DISlike me… but being liked or not is simply NOT something I have ever been remotely concerned with, in the least. Being liked by others is NOT an extrinsic value of mine. And…

2. I’m also a pretty private guy and I would be very much out of my element sharing my family and private life on social media for anyone other than a few close friends to see..

Look, I’m a guy who came from a completely fucked up and dysfunctional childhood… and I’ve been lucky enough to come out of that, not only sane and emotionally healthy…

But I also have a great family and a wife I love deeply and actually like spending time with.

In fact, I value my time and my relationship with my wife and kids above and beyond anything else I have in life. So this time is something I cherish and like to keep to myself.

Plus, I’d prefer to be looked at as a really nice, stand-up guy with a very solid work ethic, first and foremost, over someone who is “impressive” or someone who “always has it together.” Because that’s just not true.

I lose my shit sometimes, just like everyone else does. And I don’t pretend to have all the answers, that’s for sure.

I don’t live exorbitantly… my hobbies are pretty mundane (playing guitar, traveling, music, fitness, photography, cigars, coffee)… and I’m not into any really interesting “thrill seeking” events.

For me, life in an of itself has been enough of a challenge that today I am completely satisfied with peace and tranquility, my family, and a few close friends.

I also don’t think I’m qualified to preach to others or to offer them any tid-bits of wisdom, unless they ask me for it.

Point being, I abhor dogma – even coming from myself. Which is another reason why I’m not a fit for the “guru business.”

If you want to be a rock star guru, you’ve got to be VERY comfortable constantly making dogmatic statements.

Even if they are totally incorrect.

For me, that’s just not a reality as I believe there are literally hundreds of different ways of getting shit done.

And what’s going to work for one person, might be a complete miss for the next person.

Plus, I think there’s also a lot of “luck” involved in things… in the sense that, sometimes when you’re doing those things the universe supports… you will succeed, no matter what.

At the same time, if you’re doing something that’s not part of your greater destiny… no matter what you do or how good you are at it, you’ll always struggle and never really see things matriculate the way you’d like.

Anyway, my point in all of this is…

Once I really stopped and considered all of these things, I realized I didn’t particularly like the guru thing I was doing.

The daily emails… the positioning… the constant advice giving…

It’s just not me.

So I stopped focusing on growing a list, and instead just started doing what I like doing.

Working with clients, consulting them on how to increase revenue and net cash-flow from new sales and marketing strategies… writing ad copy when it’s a fit… and working on other fun side projects I’d always set aside in the past, to instead tend to my “guru” business.

And it’s been a really great decision for me and for my family.

My income hasn’t changed… my stress level has decreased, dramatically… I have MUCH more free time and struggle far less to make money… I travel more with Anne… I take time to play my guitar every single day… I go to bed at a normal hour and spend much more time with my family than I ever have before.

And… more important than anything else, in being true to who I am, I am much happier.

Funny, but I only realized in the last few years, that happiness is a choice.

I think that’s because of the difficult life I had early on. Perhaps I wasn’t aware that happiness was even a valid state of being. But I am now, and I choose to be happy.

So that’s why I stopped being a guru. It just isn’t a fit for me.

With that being said, I did want to address a few professional issues:

If you read my book, somewhere in there it says something like this, “If you want to talk with me about a project, you have to pay me a consulting fee up front and then I’ll talk to you.”

At the time I wrote that, I was modeling my business after another successful guru.

This was a guy who’s ethics I didn’t particularly care for, and who’s got the personality of a troll. And yet, for some dumb reason, I thought I had to act the same way.

Because I didn’t have the confidence in myself to just be the friendly gregarious guy I am, I set my business up like this.

It’s kind of amazing my business grew and that I did as well as I did, not being myself and acting so arrogant… but so be it.

However, I can’t imagine how many good people I alienated along the way…

I also did this to avoid people just getting on the phone with me and looking for free advice (you’d be surprised how many people actually try and do this), but there are other ways of avoiding this…

Today, I don’t run my business like this. At all.

If you want to talk with me about a project you need help with, or if you think you’re interested in hiring me, shoot me an email. And if it makes sense, we’ll spend some time on the phone discussing what you have going on, and whether or not I can help you, and it’s a fit for us to work together.

Give me as many details as you possibly can about what you’re looking to do, and whether or not you’ve ever worked with someone like me in the past (and what your experience was).

I ask for this information because it helps me evaluate what’s going on and what you are expecting out of someone like me.

If it makes sense, we’ll set up a call and have a chat. If it doesn’t make sense to talk, I’ll let you know that, as well.

You can email me at craig AT kingofcopy.com and unless I’m out of town traveling, I’ll get back to you within one or two business days to at least let you know I’ve received your email.

Second, none of the “buy” links work any more for any of the products on my website. However…

If there is anything you want to buy, just contact Anne and she’ll take care of your transaction, which you can pay through Paypal. You can reach her at anne AT kingofcopy.com

Lastly, if I can offer you any piece of advice, it’s this:

As difficult as things might seem when you’re getting started in a business… think about what you want things to look like, long-term. Chase the freedom and build the lifestyle you want – don’t chase the money. Be yourself, not someone else.

And also, while it’s definitely good to work hard… make sure you’re taking care of yourself along the way.

Spending an hour a day on a hobby you enjoy will NEVER delay your success. Especially when you consider how much more energy you have after doing something you really like.

Have fun and let me know if I can help you with anything. And if you’ve been with me for a long time, thanks for all your business and support.

I’m upset how they waste and steal my time that I can never get back… I’m insanely frustrated by their ignorance and ineptitude… and they generally make me want to move to deserted island, eating only what I can kill or pluck from a tree.

Here’s a few examples of the kinds of things stupid people do that absolutely drive me insane. Like, “I want to pell my skin off” insane:

* This morning I was reading an article about a guitar they recently created, made out of cardboard. The guitar played well and sounded great.

Well, in the guitar world – where virtually all guitars are made out of a few different kinds of wood (Ash, Oak, Alder, etc), this is pretty interesting. Because there’s so much debate over which wood gives you a better sound and a longer tone.

And here you have something made from cardboard which sounded great.

So instead of marveling at how unique the material is… 90% of the people who commented on this post instead made fun of the guy who was playing the guitar.

That’s like going to the doctor and he tells you you’re dying of cancer. And all you’re thinking about is how you can’t get your head around the color of his tie.

Un f-ing believable, no?

* Another classic example of stupid shit that just drives me insane, is when you call up a big dumb company.

They ask you to enter your 16 digit account number, “so they’ll have your records in front of them once a real live human happens to pick up your call.”

But then… for some reason, you still have to give the “real live human” your account number… as well as the next 3 “real live people” you wind up having to speak to, as well.

This happens all the time. I often think about things like firearms, and medieval torture devices while I am on hold with these folks. Or while I’m reaching for my wallet to get my account number… for the third time.

Or course, instead of violence… I wind up settling for a drink, but still… none of this is really necessary, is it?

No.

* And what about service people who promise you one thing and do another?

For example, I was referred to this guy who told me I was seriously overpaying for my health insurance.

He told me he’d be able to get me a better policy that was $200 – $300 cheaper per month.

Then he sends me three quotes that are the same (or far worse) coverage which were $200 – $300 more expensive each month.

I don’t know how you feel… but when stuff like this happens to me. When, for no fault of my own, I’m just dropped down right in the middle of STUPID… I feel trapped.

It’s a suffocating feeling and it’s one of the few things that still makes my blood boil.

However…

I think I’m about to turn a new leaf on this.

See, ever since I hit 50, two years ago… I’ve been on a mission to reduce my stress levels.

“Why” is another conversation for another day, but let’s just say it’s pretty important to me.

And so, last night.. when I was talking to a buddy of mine on the phone, he opened my eyes to something that’s definitely going to help me lower my “Stupid” related anxiety.

He told me his father once told him to never ever get angry at, or resent stupid people.

Why?

The answer is simple: Because someone needs to cook the fries.

And the truth is, he’s right. Someone’s gotta do the grunt work, I don’t want to do.

Obviously, this is a metaphor. It’s not poking fun at people who work in burger joints or any other job. After all, I think everyone did some kind of basic entry-level job at one time or another. I know i did.

But it’s a way of looking at stupid people and realizing – at least, for me, anyway… that they too have a place in this world.

And in reality, it’s not my job to fix them or get irritated by them any more than I should get irritated by crooked politicians, cheap liquor, or mosquitoes.

After all, as we say in New York, where I grew up… “It is… what it is.”

Have a great weekend.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. If you have any “Stupid” stories, or things to add to this, feel free to post them below on my blog.

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listening to:

One Last Cold Kiss – Mountain (1971)

This is the first time that’s ever happened, but… I’ve been at this for 16 years now, and I’ve worked in over 104 different industries with more than 300 clients. It’s not like I just fell off a log last week and decided to start consulting people.

My work load this year has been quite heavy, between consulting and copywriting clients and my own side projects. And I assure you, I am quite thankful for these opportunities.

However, I just wanted to take a moment to wish you and your family a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

And if you live in a different part of the world, where Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated, I hope your weekend is stress-free, fun, and spent with people you care about.

Stay thirsty, my friend.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Get “How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers:”

On Sale, only $12.95 with Free Shipping

listening to:

Kashmir – Led Zeppelin (1975)

Not only with consulting and copywriting clients, but with a couple of side projects I have going on. Plus, I’ve been playing guitar as often as possible, and having a great time doing it.

I’ve never really discussed this at length, but here’s a brief list of some of the results I get for clients. Yes, some of these numbers are unusual – but I’ve been producing results like this since 2000 – so not that unusual for me.

If you have any questions or want to discuss working on a project together, or you want to hire me to develop your marketing strategy, or to write your creatives… email me directly (craig AT kingofcopy.com) or call our office at 813-333-2463 and leave a message.

Here you go:

Direct Mail

• A direct mail piece I created generated a 47.1% lead generation response on the first mailing, in a boring and mundane industry. My client couldn’t mail out a second or third mailer because he already exceeded the allotted number of teleseminar participants on the first mailer…

• A financial services professional in the midwest increased his leads by 51% using direct mail. Because he was now also dealing with more qualified leads, his net cash-flow went up by 60%. Lead acquisition costs also dropped by 21%…

• I invest in real estate. One of the lead generation mailers in my real estate business got a 32.85% response within the first 3 weeks…

Online lead generation, sales letters, emails and solo email drops:

• A solo email drop I recently created got a 15.43% open rate, and a click-through rate of 21.4%…

• A small email sequence recently went out to a small list of only 95 prospets. Within the first 4 days, 4 workshop sales were already made – 3 at $2,597, and 1 at $3,597 – $11,388 total…

• A recent affiliate campaign I wrote for a client delivered these results for two of his affiliates: 30.96% click through rate – and 100% of these people ordered. We didn’t do as well with the second promotion, but still… nothing to feel badly about, with a 44.68% click through rate, and 88.88% orders…

• A webinar registration landing page I put together, had a 54% on-page conversion rate. Webinar host was pitching an in-person workshop, which more than sold out and caused him to have to book a larger hotel room (a great problem to have!)…

• And, 7 days after a recent information product launch, 37.73% of the people who clicked through, ordered…

At this point in time I’ve worked with over 300 clients in more than 104 different industries…

Published “How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers,” my first book, 2009…

Been writing and publishing a monthly offline newsletter, “Seductive Selling,” since April 2006…

I’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have. Again, simply email me directly (craig AT kingofcopy.com)or call our office at 813-333-2463 and leave a message.

Apparently, nurses are the most trusted profession, and have been so every year this poll has ever been done (since 1999). Except for one year when firefighters took the top spot.

After nurses came pharmacists, medical doctors, engineers, dentists, and police officers.

Interestingly, clergy are not as trusted as police officers… and journalists, state governors, and business executives are less trustworthy than college teachers.

But more trustworthy than lawyers, of course.

However, stockbrokers, advertising practitioners (which includes me and you), and members of congress, are the least trustworthy of all.

Except for car salespeople, that is.

In all fairness to car salespeople though… a good friend of mine has direct access to many of the industry’s inside secrets, and he told me quite a lot.

Apparently, car salespeople work upwards of 70-80 hours a week, all different hours – from early in the morning till late at night. Many work 7 days a week, or have to come into the dealership on their days off to close deals.

They’re also under tremendous pressure to make quotas, and their bosses and their bosses’ bosses usually have no qualms about how they make these quotas.

And the best car sales people make anywhere from $75,000 – $100,000, on average – depending on where you work and the kind of cars you sell.

Now I don’t know how you feel about this, but to me… working 4,000 hours a year in high-pressure situations to make anywhere from $18.75 to $25 bucks an hour (while working for a bunch of selfish, dysfunctional people)… isn’t a situation most people would want to be in.

Not that this makes them any more trustworthy – but it does make me more empathetic and understanding of their situation.

But back to this survey – why are some people perceived as being trustworthy or not?

Why is a dentist more trustworthy than a chiropractor?

Is it education?

I think, to some extent, it is.

Otherwise, why would college teachers come out ahead of members of congress?

To me, a college teacher is no more trustworthy than any other average person.

I would think people who haven’t attended college trust college professors more than people who have attended college and who have actually dealt with professors.

Sometimes, lack of familiarity can put a different slant on things.

My personal issues with trust have more to do with individual competence than industry trends or perceptions.

Meaning, most people just aren’t really “that” competent in what they do, whether they’re a cop, a doctor, or the guy who works on guitar amplifiers in the repair shop.

To me, competence is at an all time low, driven by laziness and just a lack of personal pride or pride of ownership in the work people create.

And I think most successful people feel this same way.

Which is why it’s critical you address your competency and trustworthiness in virtually ANY kind of marketing material you’re putting in front of any potential new prospect.

You see, basically, there are three things your buyers need to know:

1. Are you credible enough to be selling this product?

And if so, why?

As an example, a dentist is going to do better selling things to dentists, than a marketing guy is. Simply because the dentist has more credibility…

2. Do people believe you when you are speaking?

This has a lot to do with how you present yourself (in person, or in print). The words you use… the stories you tell… and your reasons for existing and helping your buyers solve the problems they have.

3. Do people like you?

This is, for many buyers, most important.

You’ll often hear people making all sorts of decisions… and when you ask them why they made a particular choice – they’ll often say, “I just liked that guy better.”

And most of the the time, being liked has to do with your intangible ability to “connect” with the person you’re speaking with.

The tone you’re speaking in, your smile, your facial expressions… and the level of energy you exude.

Of course, these things are far more difficult to show in print.

Which is why I put together this program which shows you specifically how to be trusted, how to connect… and how to keep it real with your buyers.

The program delves into your buyers psychology and shows you how to leverage it… and then it shows you specific strategies to use when you’re selling in print, to:

* Prove you are genuine…

* Form deep, genuine rapport with your buyers (even when they’re complete strangers)…

* Develop credibility and believability between you and your buyers…

And much more…

Since the program is delivered digitally, you can start making the tweaks you need, and have these strategies in place… literally before the end of the day.

Check this program out, right here.

Just reading the information alone, will teach you a lot about how to build the kind of trust you need to build with buyers.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Understanding how to build trust and rapport, is the most important skill any salesperson can have. Not knowing how to do this effectively – both online and in print… will always leave you dragging behind, chasing your competition.

listening to:

The Electric Flag – Killing Floor (1968)

You know, it would seem to me that of all the advertising media in existence… billboard advertising is some of the most wasted.

It’s really odd what people put up on billboards.

For some reason, most advertisers just seem to treat a billboard like an abbreviated business card.

Of course, most people throw business cards away, virtually immediately. Primarily because most business cards say nothing other than your name, phone number and address.

Which is about as compelling as the new shelf down at your local library.

But billboards say even LESS! I get it that readers don’t have all day, but at least make an offer and point them to a website.

“Lose 10 pounds by Monday” – www.Whatever.com

“Mention this billboard for 20% off your first order when you come in”

“Free Dessert with the purchase of dinner, at Ted’s Diner”

I mean, you don’t have to be an advertising genius to come up with that kind of ad copy. But my Lord, most people give you nothing to work with, at all.

Literally no reason to pay any attention to the damn thing, period.

At least business cards only cost a hundred bucks for a few thousand.

Billboard costs are off the charts – maybe $5000 – $20,000 depending on your location.

At that rate…

I actually think I’d take my chances just passing out like, 1 million business cards. Because even a broken clock is right twice a day, so “someone, somewhere” will respond “just because.”

Anyway, the second thing I want to tell you is, yesterday I was visiting my granddaughter in the hospital. She’s better now – but she had a pretty bad allergic reaction at the time.

I was sitting down with her and there was a child’s toy on the floor.

It was of those old fake telephones. The one with the rotary dial and the handset with the curled cord attaching it to the phone itself.

And it suddenly dawned on me, “Why they hell do they still make these toys?”

There isn’t a baby born any time within the last 5 years that will recognize or have any idea at all what this thing is.

I find it odd they still make these, don’t you?

And finally…

Last week I heard a joke. I’m pretty funny but I’m not really a good joke teller, I’m more spontaneous about things. But here goes, let me know if you like it.:

You know what the difference is, between God, and a surgeon?

God doesn’t think he’s a surgeon.

Ba-dum-dum.

Enjoy the rest of your week. I hope summer is treating you well :-)

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Free: 12 New Special Marketing13 Reports – download ’em here

Get “How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers:”

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or on Amazon.com

listening to:

Ten Years Ago – Buddy Guy & Junior Wells (1974)

1. Apparently, an interview I did on generating leads through building sales systems has either just been posted or maybe even reposted.

If you’d like to listen to it, check it out right here

2. Funny article I read last week about 5 massive marketing fails by big dumb corporations

Read it here

3. Lastly, here’s the weirdest shit that’s ever happened to me…

The other evening, I was sitting at my desk going through an old pile of papers I stumbled across from when I was a kid.

I’m talking really old – August 1983. (32 years ago)

The papers are filled mostly with quotes and song lyrics I was listening to back then. Stuff I wrote down that had meaning to me at that particular time.

I look down at this one lyric and a get a warm fuzzy feeling coming up the back of my neck and over the top of my head – kind of like “electricity.” But I’m not really sure why I feel this buzz coming over me.

The lyric was from a song on a 1974 album by the Scorpions, called Fly To The Rainbow.

I look up at the screen of my iMac, and… I suddenly realize why I have the chills.

At that exact same moment, I was listening to the exact same album.

What are the odds of something like this happening?

I mean, how random is this?…

Anyway, if you have some weird stories like this, which you’ve experienced… feel free to share them below

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Free: 12 New Special Marketing13 Reports – download ’em here

How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers:

Now only $12.95 with Free Shipping

or on Amazon.com

listening to:

Fly To The Rainbow – Scorpions (1974)

He said, “My son, it is between two wolves.”

“One is evil, and filled with anger, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false price, superiority and ego…”

The other is good, and filled with joy, peace, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith…”

The grandson thought about it for a minute, and then he turned and asked his grandfather, “Grandfather, which wolf wins?”

And the old Cherokee replied simply, “The one I feed.”

Which wolf are you feeding?

Any comments? Leave them below…

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Free: 12 New Special Marketing13 Reports – download ’em here

How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers:

Now only $12.95 with Free Shipping

or on Amazon.com

listening to:

Paul B. Allen, Omaha, Nebraska – Buddy Miles (1970)

I’m proud to have helped him. For more info on my consulting or coaching programs, click here.

In the meanwhile, listen to what Teemu has to say:

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Free: 12 New Special Marketing13 Reports – download ’em here

How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers:

Now only $12.95 with Free Shipping

or on Amazon.com

listening to:

Buddy Miles Experience – You’re The One (That I Adore) (1968)

We don’t talk as much as we used to, but when we do speak – which is probably 3 to 5 times a year – it’s as if the last conversation just ended yesterday.

I guess that’s what happens when you know someone for 38 years – he was one of the first people I met in high school.

I don’t think we’ve ever had a fight or an argument. I know we did have a falling out for a while there. But when we reconnected, neither one of us could remember why.

We just got back up on the bicycle.

We see each other maybe once every 2 years or so. We live on opposite ends of the country now, but if I’m in his neck of the woods, we make sure to hook up.

He’s an interesting guy because he’s really a great example of “You are who you are.”

For instance, every time we meet, he tells me he wants to make more time for having fun… more time for socializing… and more time away from work.

Don’t get me wrong, I think, as business owners, this is something we all struggle with. But for me, as I’ve gotten older and realized “You only have one rodeo, and that rodeo is getting shorter and shorter…” I’ve been fortunate enough to become more balanced.

To introduce more fun and “life” into my life, and to make work less of a priority.

To some extent this means being a little smarter so you can work more efficiently. But for me, anyway, a great portion of doing this simply had to do with firmly saying “That’s enough for today, it’s time to play my guitar now.”

Or… “I’m hanging out with family this Sunday. Period”

And then sticking to it.

I feel really bad for my friend, but I guess I shouldn’t. Even though he’s noticeably uncomfortable and you can see he wants to be different, ultimately… he likes it this way.

Which is perfectly OK. After all, to each his own.

There’s an old adage that says, “You can’t change the stripes on a tiger.”

And to a large extent, I agree with this. However, I’d also add in at the end of this…

“But sometimes, a tiger can change himself into a lion… if he wants to badly enough.”

Any comments? Let me know below.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Free: 12 New Special Marketing13 Reports – download ’em here

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listening to:

Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb (1982)

This is the best dating ad I’ve ever seen. Apparently, it was posted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution a while ago.

SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I’m a very good girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I’ll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me…. Call (404) 875-6420 and ask for Annie, I’ll be waiting…..

Over 150 men called and found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society.

If you’ve seen a better one than this, let me know.

And since we’re having fun today, I also posted up a bunch of new Offbeat Ads.

Check ’em out and let me know if you like them.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Free: 12 New Special Marketing13 Reports – download ’em here

How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers:

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or on Amazon.com

listening to:

Gary Hoey – Fly On The Wall (2006)

Wawa is a chain of convenience stores and gas stations that’s headquartered out of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania.

Over the last few years, they’ve been opening them up down here in Florida – and I must say, they are gorgeous stores.

Everyone of them I’ve been in is spit-shine clean and you can practically eat off the floors. Which says a lot for a convenience store gas station with tons of foot traffic.

And the layout is thoroughly organized. Food and snacks are lined up on the shelves with military precision.

On this particular day, while I was waiting for my truck to fill up, I ran inside to use the restroom.

On the way out, this is what I saw on the front of the ice cooler:

Let me explain why this simple sign is so effective.

You see, the best time to sell someone “something else” is when they’ve already decided to make their first purchase from you.

And asking “Is one bag enough?” – as opposed to telling someone “Why not buy a second bag?” does this brilliantly.

Why?

The answer is simple.

For starters, down here in Florida, most people are always running out of ice. And it’s a huge pain in the ass to always have to be running around to get more of it.

Especially since, the moment you realize you need more, is typically when you want to have a nice cold drink.

And who wants to stop what they’re doing, and delay that nice cold drink… just because you’ve ran out of ice?

Not many people, I assure you.

In fact, the only thing I’d change here is maybe add in the word “really.” As in “Is one bag really enough?”

Because now you’re adding in a layer of potential doubt for people to consider.

“Is one bag enough?” allows the customer to answer “No,” too easily.

Adding in that word “really,” gives them reason to pause and think for just a split second. And to potentially experience a slight sense of regret if they don’t buy.

And this “regret” is what typically makes your sale. Or in this case, it makes your upsell to a second bag.

I can’t begin to imagine how many more bags of ice they sell because of this little question they put above the ICE sign. They have over 600 stores, so I’m sure it’s in the millions over a year. Florida stores typically sell over 200 bags a day, alone.

This is why post-sale upsell pages are so effective online, by the way.

You’re asking people to do something they’ve already committed to doing, at the same time they’ve committed to doing it.

It’s like your kids asking you for an extra $10 dollars to eat, after you’ve already given them $25 bucks to spend at the mall.

Easy come, easy go, right?

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Free: 12 Money-Making Reports – download ’em here

How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers:

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listening to:

Mountain – Theme For An Imaginary Western (1970)

Sometimes you can sit there and read and listen to your ipod. Other times you get stuck next to the sweaty fat guy or the crying kid. And still, other times you find yourself involved in a pretty deep, pretty intimate conversation with a complete stranger.

That’s what happend to my wife and I last week when we went up to New York for a few days of R & R.

We sat next to a guy who must have been really stressed out, because he unloaded a lot of stuff on us.

He was a short, balding guy, living somewhere on the upper east side of Manhattan. I imagined him as a professor, perhaps. But there again, he thought I was a cop or retired military – so I’m sure I was dead wrong about what he did for a living.

After all, looks can, and usually are deceiving, right?

For sure.

So the guy begins telling me he’s going to visit his parents down in St. Pete, which is just on the other side of Tampa, across the bay.

It’s not a good trip, because his parents are getting older and are having a harder and harder time taking care of themselves.

His mom recently fell, and dad didn’t know what to do, couldn’t remember how or what happened… and in general, the relationship and dynamics are in total chaos.

And then… the floodgates broke open.

Dad’s been a lifelong alcoholic. Mom should have left him years ago.

When dad drinks, he gets a little abusive. Mom’s an enabler, but now she’s really suffering because of it.

His little brother is useless, and just tries sponging off them whenever he can.

And then he got into the nitty gritty details of all this.

As he talked, I could actually see a weight being lifted off his shoulders.

Things like this are a heavy burden to carry around, you know?

And depending on your personality, it’s much easier to tell this stuff to a complete stranger, because usually, you won’t get any judgment from a stranger.

And for a lot of people, this is really important.

The term I use for situations like this, is called “insular intimacy.”

It’s when you can be intimate, without fear of having any part of this intimacy “escape” the confines of that particular situation you’re in.

In other words, your intimacy is insulated and your feelings as well as your perception of what people think of you, isn’t at risk. You’re not vulnerable.

To be honest, I was glad to be there for this guy so he could get all this stuff off his chest. It had obviously been bothering him quite a bit, and… understandably so.

It’s an uncomfortable situation for any son to be in – even one who’s in his 40’s.

We all have stuff, that’s for sure.

But maybe… after our plane trip… this man’s burden felt a little bit lighter. At least for a moment, anyway.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Free: 12 Money-Making Reports – download ’em here

get “How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers:”

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listening to:

The Call – The Walls Came Down (1983)

However, being happily married, one of the things that comes along with this, is having to watch some of your wife’s television shows. Even though you don’t like them.

Now in all fairness, my wife is pretty good about this. She doesn’t really “force” me to watch anything, and we’ve both learned to be a little tolerant with what the other one likes to watch.

One of the shows she likes is The Millionaire Matchmaker. If you aren’t familiar with the show, here’s the deal. The show takes place in LA, and basically you have a glitzy matchmaker named Patti Stanger (ironically, from Long Island, New York) who, along with her team, searches for love for the two guests on each show.

They set them up on a variety of encounters, and then the guest choose one special person (lol) for their final date.

The catch is, the guests who are getting the dates, are all millionaires who have supposedly been vetted out by the show’s producers.

And the contestants (the ones vying for the date), all know this.

I always found this entire concept odd, because if I were successful and looking for a woman to hang out with… the very last thing I’d ever do is let her know I was successful.

I’d be lying if I said I was speaking from experience here, but it seems to me there are just too many moving parts you introduce when you lead with this as your focal point.

But what do I know?

I’ve been with my wife for 22 years and didn’t start making any really good money until long after we started our relationship.

So really, who knows? Maybe you get better women this way, or maybe they want to please you more. I really have no clue, but it just “feels” suspicious to me. Like you’re starting off on the wrong foot or something.

Anyway, I actually like Patti Stanger. She’s really direct, and she calls people out on their shit. And she’s not afraid to tell her guests when they’re acting like children and when they are being selfish.

Last week though, I was watching one of the episodes (we record the programs and watch them when we have some time at night), and Patti said something that I really disagreed with.

She was advising a woman to “Ditch any guy who doesn’t know where they are going to be in 5 years.”

I don’t think this makes sense at all, and here’s why.

You know, life is very interesting. For most of us – and by us, I mean entrepreneurs and business owners… planning just your week out is overwhelming. Planning out the month just isn’t something you do… and planning out 5 years would be like sitting down and eating a fresh bowl of tree bark.

It’s just not something you do.

I think the world today is filled with so much uncertainty around every corner… that no one can be genuinely real and say “they know where they are going to be in 5 years.”

And with technology and progress moving at increasing warp speed… and getting faster daily, in all fields… most of the opportunities you’re going to have 5 years from now, don’t even exist today!

Not to mention, the amount of personal tragedy, loss, challenges, and struggles most of us have to deal with during the course of our lifetime, is staggering.

For instance, you think you’ve had it tough?

Listen to this. Yesterday, I met a guy who wants to do business with me. Lovely guy, really sincere, salt of the earth fellow. He’s 68 years old, and I asked him to tell me his story. You know, about his family, his business, and how he got where he is today.

He mentioned along the way that he had two kids. And then he talked about one of his children who was a fantastic athlete in high school, and then went into the Marine Core, and today runs a successful small business.

Then he went off talking about some other things about his parents, and his wife’s parents, and where they grew up.

When I asked about his other child, he just sort of looked at me puzzled. And I said, “You mentioned you have two children – you told me about your son who was a great athlete – what about your other child?”

He then proceeded to tell me that his other child, a girl, had a brain stroke when she was 28 years old… and that he and his wife (married 51 years) have been caring for her every day since then.

I gave the guy a warm pat on his back and told him how sorry I was and how strong he and his wife must be, and I told him how much I admired him for what he’s done.

I mean, I don’t think, even if his wife had met him on Patti’s show… either of them would have ever imagined the series of events that would follow.

Another woman I met recently, she was telling me how both of her children had serious drug addictions. One, about to do serious prison time… and the other has been in and out of jail for the last 15 years. They are only 28 and 30 years old.

I’m sure, when she was cuddling them in bed at night, tucking them in underneath the covers when they were little… and when she was wondering and hoping and thinking about all the interesting things life might bring them… “heroin addict” wasn’t one of those things she considered.

Sure, there are loads of wonderful experiences we all get to have. But my point is, for most of us… the future is terribly uncertain. And you can bet the farm on the fact that while you’re going to laugh a lot… you’re also going to have to swallow a lot of bitter pills along the way.

We all do.

So if you’ve ever sat there, freaking out because you don’t know where you’ll be in six months, or in 12 months, or good Lord, in five years… relax.

I think most of us do really good just putting one foot in front of the other, one day at a time. After all, it takes enough strength just to do this.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve already got your hands full, just with today.

Thanks for listening, and feel free to comment below with any of your own thoughts on this.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Free: 12 Money-Making Reports – download ’em here

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listening to:

Led Zeppelin – In The Light (1975)

Being 15 is pretty damn difficult, especially nowadays. Social media has increased peer expectations and decreased personal freedom, for kids.

I have to admit, even though I’m not one to rush time away… I’ll look forward to the day when Sam’s through all the teenage angst.

I wrote this for her when she was around 3 or 4 years old, and I hope you enjoy it. You can comment on about it below, if you’d like:

I love putting my daughter to bed. It’s one of the few times I have no problem relaxing and simply enjoying being right there in the moment.

We usually spend a lot of time talking about what went on during her day. We laugh and joke with one another… and then I cuddle her and she falls asleep cuddling her own safety net — a little doll she’s had almost all her life. (that she still has!)

Last night, I thought she was asleep, and when I started to get up and out of her bed… she said softly… with her eyes closed, “Don’t go daddy. Hold my hand.”

As long as I live, I will never forget this.

It was as pure and true a moment, as life can ever give you.

So I laid back down with her and I let her curl her little fingers around my thumb, while I gently cupped the rest of my fingers around the back of her hand.

As I looked at her, I realized there are certain distinct facial features that infants and young children have, that get lost as we get older.

For example, her lips.

There’s a thin line that separates your lips from the skin immediately around your lips, and this line is very defined when you’re young. But it loses its sharpness as you age through childhood. It’s as if fine sandpaper somehow slightly smoothes the edges down, the more you start speaking.

And her eyelashes.

You can see each individual long dark eyelash as if it were a strong yet soft feather… growing up out of her eyelids. Slightly thinner than a narrow pencil lead you slide into an automatic pencil… only bouncy and flexible, not rigid and stiff.

And as she’s falling asleep, I run my weathered fingers back through her silky fine blonde curls, and over her perfectly smooth round head. I can feel each of her hairs brushing in between my fingers, and over my clumsy and calloused hands, which, for some reason… don’t seem to be so clumsy at this moment.

As I’m looking down at her face and at her tiny little body, I’m hoping — with all the might I can muster up — that I will NEVER ever lose this exact feeling, or this exact memory.

That I can somehow permanently “burn” this moment into my mind like a craftsman burns a scene into a wooden block, creating a permanent etching of a log cabin, or perhaps a German shepherd.

I felt, perhaps more grateful in that moment… than ever before.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could recall images like this one, that are buried away inside your memory banks, automatically… the same way your elbow automatically twitches when you bang that one spot right behind it?

I’d love it.

This would be like a pre-packaged endorphin. The perfect pick-me-up whenever you’re down or frustrated about something — or whenever life’s punched you in the gut and you need help recovering.

As I’m here in this moment with her, it seems hard to think that life could be anything but perfect. Her little spirit is so bright and so warm, nothing could possibly diminish it.

Right now she is as light… and happy… as a kitten.

She is only the second woman in my life I’ve ever cared about — her mom (my wife) being the first. Both of them seem to have a soothing effect on me. Almost like “Beauty and the Beast.”

And as I’m laying here, I’m reminded about what’s important.

The truth is, there are no memories created while you are sitting in front of your computer. No fun experiences you’ll ever recall… and surely no “peak moments” you’ll look back on.

Work is nice, but as Anna Quindlen said, “No man ever said on his deathbed I wish I had spent more time at the office.”

It is all just a means to an end — and hopefully an end you are making worthwhile.

Quindlen also said, “Love the journey, not the destination.”

It’s hard to understand this until you get a few years on you, but it’s very important… and very true.

It’s the memories in life you carry around that make you or break you. Memories that either fill you up with happiness, or leave you feeling drained and empty and with nothing in your tank but sorrow and regret. And it’s important to keep this in mind.

On second thought, I don’t think I’ll have too much trouble remembering this moment.

At least… not for a good long while, anyway.

As a follow-up to this, here’s another great article on what girls really want from their dads.

Now go make some memories, Craig Garber

P.S. Free: 12 Money-Making Reports – download ’em here

How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers:

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listening to:

Sativa – My Sleeping Karma (2010)

Many marketers and business owners talk about needing a sales funnel, but very few know how to create one that can give you the results you need.

I’m talking about the kind of automated sales funnel that can constantly grow your email list and systematically sell your products and services for the rest of 2015 – without you having to do every little thing to make this happen.

That’s why I was so excited to hear LeadPages is hosting a live training TODAY to show you how it’s done. (Get details on this live training right now. <---)

The training is called:

“How to Easily Create an Evergreen Sales Funnel That Dramatically Boosts Sales And Leads in 2015″

I’ll be on the call myself – I use lead pages and I’ve recommended it to a number of clients – and all of us have benefitted from their massive database of conversions, which they share with you.

If you’re looking to get more leads, and higher quality leads, you’ll learn a lot on this Live Training.

Go here to register right now. <--

Inside this live training, you’ll discover:

The Simplest Way to Build Your Sales Funnel: You’ll see the fastest, simplest way to create an automated sales funnel that can both grow your email list and generate new sales for you starting tomorrow.

What You Should Give Away to Grow Your List: LeadPages has tested every lead magnet you can imagine. Of all these, you’ll see exactly what you should be giving away if you want to dramatically increase the size of your email list.

This Proven Sales Funnel that attracted 30,000 Customers (not leads, but customers): You’ll get a step-by-step look at the exact same sales funnel that LeadPages used to grow from zero to 30,000 customers in their first two years of business.

This is all during today’s live training at 3 pm Eastern (12 noon Pacific).

This live training is happening one time only. That means if you miss it, you will not get another chance to watch.

So I highly recommend you clear your calendar for this.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. GoToWebinar only allows 1,000 people to be on this webinar at once. So I highly recommend you register now and show up early to claim your spot. <--

Or maybe if I just don’t see things the same way most people do.

Example: I belong to a professional trade association from an earlier career I had.

Last week they sent me an advertisement by email. “Today ONLY, the discount on Dell Computers is DOUBLE.”

Instead of giving me 2% off list price (I’m not kidding), now they are going to give me a whole FOUR percent.

Now I’ve been using Mac for sometime now, so I personally haven’t ordered a Dell computer in probably 7 years or so. But… for Christmas, I did get my older son a Dell laptop.

I think we paid $200 bucks for it and it does everything he needs to do. He could run a small business on there for the rest of his life, if he wanted to.

So I sat there thinking, “Do they really think saving me EIGHT dollars off this purchase, instead of saving me FOUR dollars off this purchase… is going to make me take any kind of action, at all?”

(Not to mention that NO ONE charges you “list price” for anything.)

I don’t understand what some companies are thinking. Or why they trust their ad people to create “sales” like this.

What an absolute waste of an email.

Then there’s this…

I’m carrying a giant bag of dog food to the counter at our local pet shop. My wife likes to shop there because they’re sort of an old fashioned, mom and pop type of store. Which makes you at least feel like your money is going to support someone who deserves it.

And just before I get to the counter, I see this:

In case you’re not sure what this is, it’s diapers for dogs.

You see, there are thousands and thousands of people out there, who don’t take their dogs out for walks for whatever reason. (Mostly because they are too busy watching TV, I’d bet.)

So, to accommodate these people, there are now doggie diapers. This way, the dog can piss and shit all over him or herself, and not get it on your carpeting.

Thank goodness.

Then, during the commercials, you can get up and wipe them off, just like a little infant.

Adorable.

Only I would imagine a dog must feel absolutely awful to crapping in a diaper, if they’ve ever crapped outside before.

Ugh.

I would feel so embarrassed and so ashamed as a pet owner if I didn’t walk my dogs. I’d feel so unworthy of caring for that animal if i couldn’t do the thing they really love doing, a few times a day.

And yet… thousands of people apparently don’t even give it a second thought.

It’s when I hear about things like this… and I hear about them more and more often, every day…

It just makes me wonder if I’ve gone mad. If the inmates are finally really running the asylum.

The older I get, the more I appreciate “normal.”

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Free: 12 Money-Making Reports – download ’em here

How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers:

Now only $12.95 with Free Shipping

or on Amazon.com

listening to:

Rock Bottom – UFO (1978)

Lots of things are going on with me, and some of them will be bring changes to my business.

I have a number of really cool client projects I’m working on right now, and that isn’t going to let up any time soon.

Some of these are consulting projects… others are copywriting projects… and some are a combination of both.

(Go here for more info on consulting with me.)

I am also working on a real estate business that’s doing very well. And in my spare time, I’ve picked up my guitar once again, which makes me about as happy as any human being could ever be.

All of this is going to impact my business in a few nice ways.

First, email tips will be coming much less frequently than in the past – hopefully once a week – I should be able to manage that.

Second, as of today, I won’t be releasing any more information products. Outside of my offline newsletter (try it for free here), which I’ve been publishing almost 10 years now… my work related to kingofcopy will be consulting or copywriting related, or a combination of the two.

And along these lines I have a few different programs typically available.

Specific Programs on:

Setting up systematic lead generation and effective sales funnels for your business…

Establishing a Unique Selling Proposition for your business…

And creating marketplace positioning that actually does something to enhance the amount of money you can charge and the respect you can command…

I also wind up doing a lot of ‘project work,” helping clients navigate through a variety of marketing and sales messes they are unsure how to deal with most efficiently and effectively.

Again, for more information on any of these consulting programs, go here

And lastly, moving forward, in my email correspondence with you, I’ll be venturing out into other things besides direct marketing, lead generation, copywriting, and selling.

I have almost 1900 posts on my blog, and roughly 70% of them already contain this information. That’s over 1,300 posts related to those particular topics.

And to be honest, even the thought of writing 1300 more posts like this is exhausting.

So I’m going to be talking about other things I find interesting instead of ONLY marketing-related information. Many of these things you will also find interesting.

Of course, if you came here to learn about writing and how to write and communicate in print… you’ll obviously still be able to do this. Just watch how I write and communicate – only we’ll be talking about different things from now on – not just marketing.

To tell you the truth, I think this makes for a better relationship, overall, anyway.

The first of these posts will start next week – I just wanted to take a moment to catch up with you and give you an update of what’s going on here.

If there’s something you are particularly interested in hearing about, let me know and I’ll look into it and be open to talking about it in a post.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Free: 12 Money-Making Reports – download ’em here

How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers:

Only $12.95 plus Free Shipping

or on Amazon.com

listening to:

Down In The Flood – Derek Trucks Band (2010)

I spent a lot of time with my family, and got to catch up with a bunch of my friends.

So, it was a peaceful and relaxing time, which is probably how the holidays should be.

Last year was an interesting year for me. I experienced more personal growth and development last year, and learned more good things about myself, than in probably 10 years. For example:

1. This might sound odd, but I came to the conclusion that struggling is optional.

For most of my life, probably because I had a really troubled childhood, I’ve always tended to sub-consciously gravitate to those projects and tasks that are difficult to do.

“Underdog” types of projects, or businesses that are typically beset with obstacles and difficulties right from the get-go.

My mindset had always been, “I’m Craig Garber. I’ve already gone through a ton of shit in my life. There’s nothing I can’t do, and I’ll prove it to you.”

And this is a stupid way of thinking.

Not surprisingly, most of these projects didn’t work – and the ones that did work, I had to work SO incredibly hard… that every single minute, of every single day, it felt like I was holding my breath under water. From the first minute I woke up, straight through until I placed my head down on my pillow at night.

I came to the conclusion this year, that life, and certainly business… doesn’t need to be like this.

That struggling really is optional, in many situations.

I vowed not to take on any more projects like this, and I promised never again, to either look for challenges… or to pursue any project or relationship where the universe is constantly giving me resistance, instead of supporting my efforts.

This is such a simple decision to reach. And yet… for some reason – again, I suspect it was due to my early programming from my troubled youth – I didn’t have the level of awareness to come to this conclusion until last year.

I think, in many ways, I got sick and tired of being beat up so much. But the difference this time was… I took the time to really sit back and think about what MY role was in all of these experiences.

Once I did enough digging and realized WHY this was constantly happening to me… I was then able to do something about it.

Since then, I’ve started one new project. I went into this refusing to struggle at all. My thoughts were, if the universe isn’t going to support this project, I’m ok with it, and it simply means it wasn’t meant to be.

Mind you, this doesn’t mean I wasn’t willing to work hard. After all, I have a tremendous work ethic.

It just means I’m not willing to struggle and kill myself day in and day out. I needed to see progress.

And so far, everything is going wonderful. Not only are things moving along, but I’ve met loads and loads of new people to work with and interact with – and all of them have contributed to my success and momentum.

This has never happened before, and I have to attribute it to the new attitude I came into the project with.

Sure, you can sit back and say it was “good timing,” or “serendipity.” But I don’t buy it.

Why?

Because I’ve had success in many endeavors before, but it’s always come with heartache, struggle and strife, and a constant “pushing” on my end, with little bounce back on the other end.

My old mindset and what I attracted made everything feel like I was building the pyramids in Egypt brick by brick, all by myself, in the middle of the summer. Now, it feels like a balanced ebb and flow… kind of like floating down a relatively calm river.

And moving forward, I won’t accept any less. Because as I said, I’ve come to the conclusion that struggle is truly optional.

Where I used to say, “I’m Craig Garber. I’ve already gone through a ton of shit in my life. There’s nothing I can’t do, and I’ll prove it to you”…

Today, I say “I’m Craig Garber. I’ve already gone through a ton of shit in my life, and I’ve had enough of that. So moving forward, I’m looking for peace, minimal stress, and fun.”

On this Month’s Maximum Money Club call, which takes place this Thursday, I’ll be sharing this, along with the 9 other big transformation lessons I learned in 2014.

If you’re not already in the club, you can try it for free, right here. You’ll also receive a TON of freebies, Special Reports, audios and videos, just for trying it.

I’ll look forward to talking with you this Thursday.

Have a GREAT year.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Free: 12 Special Marketing Reports – download ’em here

How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers:

On Sale, now Free Shipping

or on Amazon.com

listening to:

Sundown Syndrome – Tame Impala (2009)

I like doing this every once in a while, to catch up on some pop culture gossip. I don’t really read the news or watch it on television, so occasionally I find something interesting on there.

I was looking through the business section and I saw the following two banners. One, right on top of the other, just like I’m showing you here:

Now remember, these weren’t ads, they were both late-breaking news stories.

The first article talked about how a panel of business economists (the same ones who advise large banks, lol) are seeing the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) increase, along with steadily increasing employment.

And the second article, which has suddenly disappeared from the internet, talked about how the economic shit is really going to hit the fan next year. How we’re all going to pay for the sins of our economic past, once again.

What I want you to take away from this is more of a lesson in common sense than anything else.

The truth is, the percentage of competent economists is no greater than the percentage of good doctors… or the percentage of competent marketing consultants or plumbers or customer service reps who work for the telephone company.

In any profession, you’ve got a few top performers, a whole slew of mediocre performers… and another giant dollop of thoroughly incompetent bumbling idiots.

The problem is, you typically can’t realize which one of these you’re dealing with, until you’re in a crisis mode, or until you present them with a difficult problem.

That’s when someone’s true competency comes out. Not when they’re solving baby problems or when they’re giving out advice or sharing their opinions.

I remember what an old client of mine once told me. He was a cardiologist and he said, “Craig, you know what they call the guy who finished last in med school?”

“They call him ‘Doctor.'”

The point is, MOST people who offer advice, probably don’t have the knowledge base to be giving out that advice.

It’s up to you to educate yourself – especially when it comes to things like finances, business, relationships, and especially your health.

Don’t believe everything you read until you’ve done enough research to genuinely appreciate the position any particular advisor is coming from.

Remember, the purpose of most articles on places like yahoo, is to sell advertising. Nothing more and nothing less.

If you think they are trying to enhance your life, you’re living in la-la land.

Just don’t forget – your own opinion about your own life, is really the most important opinion out there.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

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listening to:

Change (In The House of Flies) – Deftones (2000)