Have A Good One…

Thursday, 11:42pm
Reno, NV
“You’ve got to be digging it while it’s happening, cuz it just might be a one-shot deal.”  (Frank Zappa)

Howdy…

Today, I want to say “Thanks” to all the wonderful people in my life.

And I hope you’re having a great holiday.

Sure, the airports are clogged with sneezing, coughing mobs enraged by delays and the prospect of being locked in a house with relatives they can’t stand for a week.

And yes, the politics of this country continue to crawl ever deeper down the rabbit hole leading to Bat-Shit Crazy Land.

And everywhere you look, greed and fear and suspicion lurk.

And yet… the world spins on, and if you can just let your mind settle for a few moments, the raw gorgeous beauty of everything can still take your breath away.

There’s a clever Chinese toast that carries both a curse and a blessing: “May you live in interesting times.”

As all wordsmiths know, that word “interesting” embraces both the good and the bad, the yin and the yang, of life.

Danger, excitement, and adventure.  The kind of events that will either kill you or make you stronger.Read more…

So, I Take A Few Days Off… And All Hell Breaks Loose…

Thursday, early
Phoenix, AZ
“Truckin’, like the Do-Dah man…” (Dead, again)

Good grief…

Nice little cat-fight going on in the comments section of the last post.

Which, of course, is fine.  I’ve still never deleted a comment in the 5 years I’ve been in the saddle of this blog.

(Side note: Has anyone figured out if there are “Web years”, which would be like “dog years” where each canine lap around the calendar is equal to 7 human laps?  I gotta tell ya, it seems like I’ve been tending this beast for half my life…)

So, anyway, here’s the post for today…

… addressing the most pressing issues being discussed:

Post Element #1: I’m still on the road.  Quick stop home to repack (hope I’ve got clean socks stashed somewhere), and then back on a plane…

… this time to San Diego to meet with Tony Robbins, and Mike Koenigs of Traffic Geyser.

Last weekend, I was a featured guest at Joe Polish’s “$25K Mastermind” quarterly meeting (so-called because members pony up $25K to belong) (and every single member I’ve met says it’s worth it many times over).

And, since we were in semi-warm weather… and there was still 3 feet of snow back home…

… I decided to stay in AZ for a few days, meet up with my biz partner Stan… and golf.

For my birthday.

So you tweakers who were so busy questioning my motives for our upcoming January event…

… were doing so on my birthday.

Have you no shame?

Is there no safe haven of time left on this chaotic planet for a man to take a break from social media… to go futilely chase little white balls around the desert?

This is not right, people.

Let’s all take a deep breath, okay?

Post Element #2: I’ll be back at this blog next week.

I’ve got a back-up of posts to lay on y’all, too.  Good stuff about the FTC (I’ve got the goods on the new recommendations, I believe)… Google’s latest round of going medieval on people… some hard-core insight to social media (R.I.P. Twitter?)…

… and, of course, updates and revelations about the upcoming event in January.

But why wait?

Let’s clear up a few of the more hurtful misconceptions here and now:

First… this is not a pitchfest.  The days are not broken up into blocks of time for a presentation and rush to the sales table.

Get straight on this: I wasn’t just “there” during the glory days of Halbert’s best seminars…

… I was co-producing the little monsters.

I wrote the letters that brought people in.  I conspired with Gary to amaze, astound and befuddle attendees… all part of our increasing awareness of how excellent teaching actually happened.  (Hint: Very few people know to teach, really.  I’ve been at this for 22 years.  If you’re confused about who’s doing the teaching in this biz and who’s ladling out the bullshit… you’re just not paying attention.)

I co-produced a few dozen events with Halbert, hosted a few of my own even before I’d met him…

… and, over the last 7 years or so, have created my own model.  Which is part workshop, part consultation, and ALL learning.

That’s what this upcoming “Action Seminar” is all about.  Most of the writer/teachers from the Simple Writing System faculty will be there…

… plus some very important experts who will share the good stuff.

I’ll explain more later… cuz, like I said, I’m still technically on the road.  (And I’ll be royally pissed off if I miss my plane because I’m posting on this blog…)

Just know this: Stan and I (and our favorite colleagues) will be focusing on helping people get their act together…

… enough to make 2010 their best year ever, business-wise.

We’re going to share everything we know, and uncork what our colleagues know… about setting up sales funnels that grab lots of traffic, and efficiently move prospects through the process of creating loyal customers.

We’re good at this.  We just had OUR best year ever… in the teeth of the continuing recession, amidst all the whining and hand-wringing and predictions of certain Doom.

It will NOT be an event like you’ve seen before.

Here, you can get all your questions answered… see real entrepreneur’s ads critiqued and deconstructed (and reassembled as bad-ass marketing that works)… shuck and jive to your heart’s content with biz owners who’ve already solved the problems that keep you frozen…

… and so on.  There will be Hot Seats, serious brainstorming on topics close to a capitalist’s little heart, tutorials on moolah-generating stuff you don’t even know exists yet (especially in pay-per-click)…

… and no bullshit at any point.

We’re hard-as-nails marketers, deep on the cutting edge of what’s working (where it’s also obvious what’s not working, which is just as important).

And, just to remind the tweakers:  This blog is (and always has been) mostly solid content.

Good advice, excellent tactics, and all the unfair advantages that come from hanging out with a grizzled veteran who loves to spill the beans.

Yes, here and there I will let you know about an opportunity we’re presenting to folks who care about opportunity.  Like this upcoming event.

If you can’t get past that, then you’ve got some issues to address that are all yours.  Please leave me out of it.

The Web is infested with people who bitch just for the sake of bitching… and who feel they have a “right” to thrash reputations because they’re enraged at their own failure.

It’s the nature of the world.  I expected no less when I raised my head above the fray and started teaching and blogging and handling “guru” chores.

For those of you who aren’t sure what to think about this kind of opportunity…

… which is an honest chance to come hang out with me, my staff, a gang of the best writers on the planet, and a bevy of experts who do NOT make their living speaking from stages…

… I invite you to investigate further. (And pay more attention to the folks who actually have experience with me, than to the tweakers who feel cheated by life.)

We will not be holding another event like this in the future.  My workshops and seminars are all TOTALLY unique, because they’re tailored to the needs of attendees.

When I get back next week, I’ll be happy to answer any question you care to put to us about this Action Seminar.

Just ask, in the comments section below.

Yes, it’s dirt cheap.  We’re not gouging, and we will over-deliver like mo-fo’s.

That’s what we do.

If you haven’t figured out — after 5 freaking years of this blog — that I am the most transparent and most willing-to-help guru on the scene…

… well, it’s just weird.  You might need your “critical thinking” nodules examined.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go catch a plane…

Stay frosty,

John

P.S. Seriously, gimme your most pressing questions, here in the comments section.

I know you’ve got ’em.  Let’s clear it all up now, while there’s time to make a rational decision to come to the event (and get your travel expenses in before the end of the year, for tax purposes).

P.P.S. One update:  For a variety of reasons, I’m rejuggling the faculty of this event.  So some of the folks in that very cool video on the site won’t be there, after all, and some new ones have been included:

www.marketingrebel.com/action-seminar

I’ll have the fresh line-up of heavy hitters ready next week.

And, just for the record, the rejuggling is solely because of travel conflicts, and the continuing adjustments Stan and I are making to the structure of this event.  We’re all still great buddies.

Because these events are so unique, we’re not trapped in any pre-made paradigm.  So, as we brainstorm and get brilliant input from others, we’re able to morph, easily and without grief.

This is all about delivering the goods to attendees.

Spots are very limited.  It’s cheap as heck.  You’re gonna love it.

More later…

How To Murder Your Business In 2010

Wednesday, 4:48pm
Reno, NV
“Shake the hand, that shook the hand, of PT Barnum and Charlie Chan” (The Grateful Dead, “US Blues”)

Howdy…

You know what the first thing many entrepreneurs and small biz owners do on January 1st (right after gagging down Excedrin with a warm dollop of “Hair o’ the dog”)?

They despair.

You know why?

It’s because… for all the “promise” a new year holds…

… for most folks in business, the months ahead are just shadows in a dark fog.

When times are good, maybe — maybe — you can stumble over some tasty opportunities as you wander.

When times are bad… you know, like our current recession-shackled economy… that fog of uncertainty gets thick enough to choke you.

Would you like to know what the UNCOMMON entrepreneurs and small biz owners do when looking ahead to 2010?

They smile.  They yawn at the recession.  And they feel damn good about their nice, clear, unobstructed view of the coming months.

No fog.  No murderous pitfalls hidden in the shadows.

They are uncommon, because they are PREPARED.

They have an action plan… and they know how to implement it.

You wanna commit business suicide?  Stumble into the coming year without a clue how you’re going to grow or get better results.

You wanna join the Feast, where the Smart Few are enjoying floods of traffic, maxed-out conversions, and the kind of almost-ridiculously-abundant free time (like a vacation every month) that “most” biz owners can only dream about?

Then get hip to the amazing magic of putting together a simple action plan.

And make sure it’s a plan you can easily (and even joyously) implement right away.

I’d like to help you, if you think getting some honest, hard-core, proven mentoring can get you off your duff… and into your seat at the Feast.

Here’s what’s up: There has always been a stark contrast between those who plan, and those who don’t even know how to plan.

For nearly 30 years now, as a high-paid consultant, I’ve been helping entrepreneurs and biz owners figure out the critical first steps to take to get moving in a new, profitable, easier (and more fun) direction.

Having even a simple plan (with just a few steps to take) will change your life forever.

But only if you are confident (and know the easy tricks) of putting this simple plan into action.

I know how to do this.  And I hang out with masters of simple-but-insanely-lucrative planning.

So…

… I’m holding a live workshop-seminar in San Diego the last weekend of January…

… where you can come and get direct help putting your own killer action plan together.

Plus learn the tricks to implementation.  The key to making your plan a reality.

We’re gonna fill you up with proven, easy step-by-step actions to take immediately… to:

• Blow away all constraints on flooding your biz with fresh, super-qualified traffic…
• Put yourself in the “go to guy” spot in your market, with all the influence and swag that gets heaped on honest authority figures…
• Maximize your ability to convert leads into happy sales…
• And finally learn the “lazy man’s way” to put your productivity in high gear.

Best part: The powerful simplicity of this kind of planning…

… means that veteran business owners will immediately benefit, as well as raw rookies.

Most people absolutely suck at planning.

And if you insist on trying to do it yourself, without expert help…

… you’re headed down a rabbit hole that can trap you, confuse you, and murder your business while you’re fighting self-created emergencies.

The top marketers (including any competition now cleaning your clock) ALL know how to map out a simple action plan… and put it in motion.

Even the best plan in the universe is worthless, if it never gets implemented.

This, by the way, is the problem with most seminars: You get a mountain of ideas dumped on you, with no hint of how to execute any of them.

The advanced stuff (which you shouldn’t be touching yet) gets all jumbled up with soon-to-be-obsolete stuff, which buries the easy stuff…

… and you’re left with zero “real” plans.

Just a lot of notes and wishes and dreams again.

Well, screw that.

We’re even calling this unique event “The Action Seminar“.

And it is populated with the best teachers and planning wizards I know.  Including…

Mike Koenigs, the uber-talented genius behind “Traffic Geyser”… who specializes in getting the most stubbornly-resistant people to quickly (actually immediately) use his simple-yet-awesomely-effective video secrets to carpet bomb the Web with a killer sales message.  (The cheapest camera you can find will do the trick, too.)

James “Schrakmo” Schramko… the brilliant Aussie who came out of nowhere last year (knowing squat about the Web), to dominate search engine rankings and generally crush all competitors in any market he chose to conquer.

He understands what it’s like to be a rookie looking for a clue… and he has made a huge name for himself helping entrepreneurs zoom to dominance with minimal skills and very little investment.

The simple plans that are easy to master, and simple to implement, is the way to get rich and happy as fast as possible.

Oh, and check this out: Teran Dale (my personal favorite PPC advisor) has the inside track on Google.  He’s managed as much as $1 million dollars a day in pay-per-click advertising in huge, super-competitive niches.

The kicker: The competition in these niches are paying $7 – $12 dollars per click… while Teran’s clients are only paying $0.21 cents.

If you suspect that everything you believe about PPC is dead wrong… you’re right.

Teran will be working directly with select folks at this seminar, while we watch and learn.  And he’s gonna be sharing ALL the good stuff… brought down to doable, simple and easy steps.  (You’re invited to join the pool of attendees we’ll choose Teran’s subjects from.)

Oh, yeah.

This is just a small taste of the Feast you’re about to share in.

We’ve also got the globally-respected Les Brown (to get your head straight about planning for success)… Melanie Benson Strick (to help you finally get off your butt and start being massively productive) (with more time off)…

… my hilarious (but deadly serious about profits) colleagues Travis Miller and Jimmy Vee will show you how to become a social media MONSTER (even if you can’t yet spell “blog”)…

… and I’ll be joined by copywriting legends Harlan Kilstein (still the only guy around who can show you how to hypnotize readers into following you anywhere) and Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero (of “She Factor” fame — and remember, the ladies still control 90% of the money out there, guys).

Plus: The entire faculty of the Simple Writing System mentoring program will be there, for you to corner and suck every shred of sales-boosting secret out of their super-talented brains.

Let’s drop names:  Kevin Rogers (my head writer for The Stable O’ Copywriters)… “Million Dollar” Mike Morgan (a top freelancer with tremendous chops)… Tony Flores (head writer for The Arbitrage Conspiracy)… Scott Haines (a killer writer and old pal of mine and Gary Halbert’s)… Jimbo Curley (the star writer who replaces me at OHP Golf)… Tina Lorenz (easily the hottest copywriter in the “launch” game right now)… and two “under the radar” (for now) writers I’ve personally hired to write for me: Robert Gibson and Mark Landstrom.

Special guest stars include “A List” copywriter David Deutsch (who recently had 6 million-dollar controls for Boardroom, Inc)… Gary Halbert’s sons Bond and Kevin (who I’ve been working closely with while they restructure Gary’s legacy)… and some Mystery Guests who should blow your mind.

There’s just one catch:

This event is coming up soon… and there are VERY limited spots open.

To get the details, just check out this info-site:

www.marketingrebel.com/action-seminar

There’s quite a bit more to the fun and seriously-lucrative stuff you’ll encounter at this rare, totally unique event.

And… I am personally making sure that you get at least 12 action-steps, customized to your situation, that are simple enough for you to implement as soon as you get home (or back to your room).

If you can handle more, you’ll get more.

But the main thing is this: This ain’t a “talk at you” event.

It’s interactive… and it’s all about helping you put together a freakin’ PLAN to go out and put into action NOW.

So you can get back to your office and start demolishing your evil competitors and dominating your market.

While earning more, and having more time off, and generally being happier and staring down the economy and every obstacle in your life…

… and winning.

Oh, this is gonna be good.

For the few who get their act together and score a spot, that is.

For the rest… well, good luck out there in the fog.

Seriously — go check out the info-site now.  (You’re gonna faint when you see how CHEAP it is, too):

www.marketingrebel.com/action-seminar/

Stay frosty,

John

P.S. Just in case it wasn’t made crystal clear:  No prior experience or skills or hidden “insider” advantages are necessary to make ANY of this stuff work like crazy for you.

Just hurry, okay? It’s coming up fast, and won’t be repeated.