…although pretty much anyone will find these tips helpful.

3 posts on the theme of “Productivity” from copywriters who know what they’re talking about…

First up, Michel Fortin…

“Get More Done Faster With These 6 Tips”

KEY IDEA: The power of deadlines.

Next, Dean Rieck…

“7 easy time management tips for copywriters”

KEY IDEA: Daily “To-Do” list.

Finally, from Pete Godfrey…

“How To Regain Control Of Your Life And Replace Distractions With Focused Concentration”

KEY IDEA: Title says it all…FOCUS.

All three of these articles will repay your modest time investment handsomely.

Here’s my 2 cents on the topic, simply expressing the ideas in a slightly different fashion.

First up, get CLEAR about what’s most important to you.  If you’re a freelancer, I’d suggest that your top priorities are…

1. Booking new business; and

2. Banking fees from current business as fast as possible, subject to producing top-quality work

Any activity that doesn’t contribute to those activities is not a priority.

Copywriting greats Gary Halbert and John Carlton talk about “Operation Moneysuck”…

…which I think sums it up nicely.

Next, create a “To-Do” list every day, prioritise, then tackle the most important task.  When that’s done, move on to the next and so on.

Finally, block out and allocate a set amount of time to achieve specific tasks.

Given your income objectives, you need to know how much your time is worth.  Let me be clear, I’m not suggesting you charge by the hour for your services.

But you need to be acutely aware of the value of your time. If the fee on a piece of work is $100, then spending a whole day on the task is not likely to be a sensible use of your time.

Look, I confess I’m terrible at this and tend to spend w-a-a-y too much time on some projects (usually small pieces of work).

Yes, you should always do good work for clients…but there is always the point where extra effort produces diminishing returns.

As Dan Kennedy says, there’s a point where “Good enough is good enough”.

Talking of Dan Kennedy…

…I would be remiss not to mention his “No B.S. Time Management For Entrepreneurs”.

Here are his “Ten Time Management Techniques Really Worth Using”…

1. Tame The Phone

2. Minimize Meetings

3. Practice Absolute Punctuality

4. Make And Use Lists

5. Fight To Link Everything To Your Goals

6. Tickle The Memory With Tickler Files

7. Block Your Time

8. Minimize Unplanned Activity

9. Profit From “Odd Lot” Time

10. Live Off Peak

If all else fails, simply remember “Time is money”! That ought to make you think if you really should be spending time on a particular activity.

At this time of year, it’s only natural to look forward and set out goals and objectives for the year.

Here’s a selection of tips and resources to help make those goals and objectives a reality and make 2012 a big success.

First a classic piece from copywriting giant John Carlton…

“The Rest Of Your Freakin’ Life, Re-Redux”

Next, a slightly different take from PR guru Marc Harty…

“3 Proven And Powerful Steps To A Better 2012″

Here’s a complete goal setting system from marketing maven Stephen Pierce…

“Smart Goal Setting”

(comes with a goal setting worksheet and other resources)

And if you want a more comprehensive success system, Stephen has a brand new program “Success Sculpting”.  To get access, all you need to do is provide a “Like” on Facebook.  Details at…

“Stephen Pierce – Success Sculpting”.

While on the topic of success systems, Mark Joyner’s “Simpleology” is well worth taking a look at.

From the folks at “Copyblogger” some tips mainly for writers (including copywriters)…

“31 Pro Tips For A Successful, Satisfying And Insanely Profitable 2012″.

And finally (for the moment), well worth taking a look at Frank Kern’s…

“Frank Kern’s 2012 State Of The Internet Address”.

Stick around for the second part of the video after the main “address”.  Some very worthwhile tips about success and life in general.

My suggestion is that it’s well worth looking at all of these…

…but once you’ve done that, pick ONE system or approach and stick with that.

It’s follow through and consistency that will get you the results you want.  Avoid the trap of trying to follow multiple systems (no matter how good they are) and ending up confused and not getting much done.

Here’s to your outstanding success in 2012!

With the year end approaching and thoughts turning to plans and goals for 2012, here’s a timely guest post from good friend and copywriting mentor Pete Godfrey.

Some valuable tips from the “School Of Hard Knocks” about success and what to really focus on in an age where there never seems to be  enough time.

*****

Turn Off The Noise And Make More Money!

Let’s face it. Many folks have attention spans of dyslexic penguins. Like teenagers on a high-sugar diet, their minds jump from one thought to another, pinging around inside their skulls like an out-of-control pin-ball.

Many are plugged into the grid 24/7. They are always and easily accessible. They have no “me-time” where they chill and think their own thoughts. It seems many are caught up with what everyone else is doing; ignoring the undeniable truth stated by Earl Nightingale that the masses are most always wrong, and if you want true success and do not have a model to follow, do the opposite of the masses. But most folks, the masses, get caught up with technology, and they are paying the price in loss of productivity, loss of clarity and loss of accurate thinking.

TAKE NOTE: Accurate Thinking is one of Napoleon Hill’s least understood laws of success. Separating fact from fiction is harder than it looks. Not only do you have to examine the information before you, but also “who” the information came from and what is their agenda (if any). The “who” is just as important, or even more important, than the information itself. So when sussing out an opportunity, or a piece of information, sure you’ve got to separate fact from fiction. Find out what’s important and what’s not. But you’ve also got to suss out the guy or gal giving you the info. What’s their agenda? Are they impartial? (Hint: They never are!)

The REAL secret to success is a bitter pill to swallow. It would be hard to do a seminar on the subject because it would be just you and the hotel staff. You see, focused discipline is the answer to many of life’s problems… especially money problems. The trouble is, most people don’t know how to focus for a minute, let alone an hour.

They want instant gratification without doing the work. They want the pay day without the work week. And this problem is only getting worse. We’re all wired into the grid… getting bombarded with information from TV, the Internet, emails, Social Media… it seems there is no time for ourselves… just a constant assault of information… you’ve got to be constantly checking to see what everyone else is doing… forever checking emails, surfing the net, flipping the channels on pay TV and text-ing your little heart out until your fingers bleed.

But get this… if you want SUCCESS, really WANT it, then you’ve gotta unplug, unwind and focus.

Basically, you’ve got to make the decision to be successful, whatever that means to you.

Make the decision right now to avoid at all cost being average… make the decision not to settle for second best. And believe in your heart you are worthy of the best. And then take disciplined action to get where you want to be.

This means you don’t get distracted by the 101 things that attract your attention… those bright shiny objects that’ll derail your goals.

No. It means you prioritise your days so that you are in control and how you spend your time is congruent to where you want to be.

This takes discipline. And most people these days haven’t got a shred of it. And that’s why when you discover the true liberating freedom of discipline you’ll soon rise above the rest. Because most never try a damn thing. You, however, are clearly focused on what you want and you are developing the discipline to get you there.

And sure, when starting out with this discipline gig you will get distracted. Your mind will fight you (mine still does)… it’ll do anything to avoid the discipline needed for focused concentration. Your mind will want to wander, to throw at you a myriad of thoughts that have nothing to do with the task at hand. When this happens just smile and then regroup your thoughts. Then force your mind to do what it’s told. In time it gets easier. And your sessions of focused concentration will get longer. This is when you’ll start to feel the sense of accomplishment, of certainty that you’re going to get what you want.

It’s a liberating feeling… knowing you can get what you want, when you want it… that all it takes is a bit of focused concentration (and the right information). It puts you back in control of your life where you get to call the shots.

No amount of money can buy this kind of freedom. But it takes work to get there. That’s why it will forever elude the masses; it takes too much effort.

*****

With more than a decade of experience in the marketing arena, Pete Godfrey, AKA “The Wizard of Words”, has developed a keen eye as to what it takes to succeed in business. As one of Australia’s most successful and highest paid copywriters/sale strategists, Pete’s client list contains many of the world’s savviest entrepreneurs. To get to know Pete better and see how you can profit from his hard-won advice go to http://www.petegodfrey.com/blueprint and grab his new FREE report “Business Profits Blueprint: How to Profit in The New Economy”. Valued at a very real $97, it’s yours FREE for a limited time.

“Do The Work”!

That’s the title of a new book from Steven Pressfield that’s all about taking action and completing your creative projects faster…

…and avoiding the agonies of endless procrastination.

Pressfield has talked about this before in his excellent book “The War Of Art”.

“Do The Work” is his “manifesto” to put into practice his ideas and strategies to overcome resistance.

Great interview with Steven here…

“Doing The Work: An Interview Between Steven Pressfield And Ishita Gupta”.

My copy of the book is on the way and I’ll provide further comments once I’ve had a chance to read the book.

NOTE: On Amazon, the kindle edition is FREE until 20 May, 2011.  Details here.

Great series of posts recently by Randy Gage on the topic of HEALTH…

…that will be of particular interest to copywriters and marketers.

Of course, good health is important for everyone…

…but for independent entrepreneur types like us, it’s especially so.

There are 7 posts in the series…

“A Healthy Mind”

“Food For Life”

“Unleashing Your Energy”

“The Benefits Of Chiropractic Care”

“The Magic Of Massage”

“Structural Alignment”

“It Is All About Your Smile”

Couple of personal observations based on my own experience…

1. If you’re working at a desk most of the time (especially if you work from home), it’s ESSENTIAL that you have an exercise program.

2. It’s important that you are mindful of posture and structural alignment.  I’m not familiar with the techniques Randy talks about but I am familiar with Pete Egoscue’s system and can recommend any of his books.  Also, regular chiropractic care will be very helpful (in Sydney, I can highly recommend “Hands On Sydney”).

3. Treat yourself to a massage every now and then…you deserve it!

Quick, simple practical tips that can make a real difference to your health and vitality.

Public service announcement time.

No doubt you’ve been following events in Japan and are as horrified as I am at the scale of the destruction.

Here in Australia (and NZ) we’ve had our fair share of natural disasters this year…

…but they’re dwarfed by the devastation in Japan.

Here’s a way you can help to bring prosperity back to Japan…

…AND do yourself a BIG FAVOUR at the same time.

Randy Gage is a speaker, trainer and coach who I have a lot of time for.  He’s running an online seminar called “The Prosperity Power Is You” on March 25.

At ant time it would be well worth signing up for this.

But here’s the amazing thing.

Not only is Randy going to donate all of the proceeds to the relief effort in Japan…

…he’s going to ADD a personal donation on top for every person who attends the online training.

Randy explains all the details at…

“Bringing Prosperity Back To Japan”.

Helping yourself and a great cause at the same time?  Should be a pretty easy decision.  Make this the next thing you do.

…and marketers…in fact, pretty much anyone!

Let’s face it, copywriting and creating effective direct response marketing campaigns can be mentally gruelling at times.

So, I was most interested in a recent article in the Australian edition of “Men’s Health” with the title…

“Choosing Sides – Harness the hidden power of your brain’s separate hemispheres to supercharge your daily performance”

You’re probably aware that your brain is, broadly speaking, divided into two hemispheres.

The left hemisphere controls functions such as language, analysis, logic and method.

The right hemisphere controls calculation, lateral thinking and sensory input.

The article details 6 exercises to boost mental performance, 3 for each hemisphere.

Here they are along with my suggestions as to how hard-pressed copywriters and marketers might use them…

Left Hemisphere Exercises

1. Do The Impossible

Take one minute to sit quietly and breathe deeply in through your nose to the bottom of your stomach.

According to research at Wisconsin University in the USA, this exercise increases brain activity by 15% and has the effect of creating a more upbeat outlook.

Perfect for coming up with alternative ideas for offers and headlines when you realise that what you first came up with isn’t good enough.

2. Supersonic Sense

When in a conversation or a meeting, to catch more than you miss, lean in with your right ear.

This works because your right ear sends messages to the brain’s left hemisphere which is best at picking up rapid speech.

So with clients or at meetings and seminars, remember to lean in with the right ear and avoid missing out on that crucial point.

3. Create Solutions

Scribble all your creative ideas down and then walk away for 30 minutes.

A shorter time period variation on the “Sleep on it strategy”.  When you return after your break, the brain’s “utility detector” will pick the best.

Ideal for the start of a project when you have lots of ideas buzzing around for headlines and leads but aren’t sure which to go with.

Moving on to the Right Hemisphere Exercises…

4. Right First Time

Tilt your head to the left or make a point of addressing the right side of a person when passing on information.

This goes back to the right ear being controlled by the left side of the brain which processes non-emotional information.

So, to avoid misunderstandings and get the right message across remember this little tip. Not so useful on the phone, of course.  In that situation, you can ask people to repeat back to you important information.

5. Instant Success

Tap the fingers of your right hand for 45 seconds or more to make the right call on difficult decisions.

This exercise prevents rash decisions by activating your brain’s risk-averse left hemisphere.

So, if you’re “on-the-spot” to make a snap decision, do this (or tap your right foot) to give yourself the best chance of making the correct choice.

6. Make An Impression

To build rapport, direct jokes or confidences towards a person’s left ear.

The left ear is controlled by the right hemisphere which triggers better responses to emotional appeals.

Well, I can think of better uses than business situations for this tactic!  However, well worth remembering when networking and building relationships with clients.

OK, so not all of these are brain boosters, strictly speaking.  Certainly the “Instant Success”, “Do The Impossible” and “Create Solutions” will prove useful for copywriters on a regular basis.

The other tips are more helpful in improving communication, so have a slightly different application.

I’ll be trying these out…let me know if you find them useful.

…and marketers especially.

Seems to be a thought on a few people’s mind lately.

We’ve had Lawrence Bernstein telling us to “Beware Of Shiny Objects”…

…and my good mate copywriter Pete Godfrey is forever reminding his readers about this trap.

(By the way, Pete’s recently relaunched his “Emotional Ad Writing & Marketing Letter” with a killer introductory bonus…well worth checking out here.)

So when I saw this new cartoon from Tom Fishburne…

… I couldn’t resist posting it!

So, what exactly is a “Shiny Object”?

Well…

…put simply, it’s the delusion that some new and exciting product, course, book or guru is (finally) going to be the answer to all your problems.

In the extreme form of “Shiny Object Syndrome” you don’t even have to do anything yourself!  Mere possession of the “magic” item will be enough!

It’s all nonsense of course, but amazingly people continue to yearn for, and seek, the “Shiny Object” even after serial disappointments…

…and wasting a lot of time and money.

I suppose it’s a variant of the lure of “easy money”.

A confession.

I’m not immune to this siren song, but I’ve got better at resisting over time!

Now, let me be clear.

I’m not suggesting that you simply ignore new ideas or products.

After all, the search for improvements and a better way to do things is how we progress and the key to a higher standard of living.

But, especially in marketing, there are very few genuine innovations.

And the problem when you get distracted by all these cool new things…

…is that you end up not doing the (sometimes mundane but) essential tasks that make you money.

So, how do you avoid falling into this trap and yet be aware of what’s going on and be able to take advantage of genuinely useful new products or programs?

Couple of suggestions that may be helpful.

Firstly, be clear about your major goals.  What are the most important things you want to achieve?

Secondly, when you’re looking at something new, ask yourself the question “Is this going to help me get where I want to go?”  If “Yes”, that’s great.  If “No”…you know the answer!

Finally, always remember that you are responsible for your own success.  Nobody else, no “Shiny Object” is going to do it for you.

And when you think about it…that’s a good thing.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”

- Albert Einstein

…or, wherever you are in life at the moment, your best thinking got you there.

Why the quote?  Well kind of sums up the message of the main speaker at the afternoon session of the Crocodile Marketing conference, Pat Mesiti.

Now, like many people who teach about success and prosperity, Pat has attracted his fair share of controversy, critics and detractors.

However, I’ve now seen Pat speak twice and he’s someone well worth listening to, in my opinion.

His message isn’t new.  The idea that how we think determines the results we get in life is almost conventional wisdom in the world of personal development.

But Pat has a unique and very dynamic way of getting his point across.

And his key points…

…if you’re not where you want to be you need to change your thinking…

…successful people think differently…

…you can learn from successful people!

Hey, you may well have heard this sort of thing before.

Perhaps many times (I certainly have!).

So, how’s that working out?

I know that for me it was a useful reminder.

Now, I confess that I left halfway through the afternoon to catch my flight home and missed the end of Pat’s presentation.

That meant I also missed the wrap up from Pete and David McMahon…

…which presumably covered their plans going forward after this last ever Crocodile Marketing Inner Sanctum conference.

From what I gleaned over the 2 days, basically Pete is going back to what he was doing before Crocodile Marketing and will be relaunching his “Emotional Ad Writing And Marketing Letter”.

David will continue to run Crocodile Marketing as a company offering training and other services to business owners (first program will be “Online Sales And Social Media Mastery”).

All in all a worthwhile trip for me.  Great to catch up with old mates and met a lot of new friends too…

…as well as picking up a few new tips and insights.  Jennie Armato’s talk on social media was particularly useful for me.

So farewell to the old “Crocodile Marketing”…it was good to know you!

Been a while since I posted a “Copywriting Note”. But I recently came across something that will give you a profound insight into what you need to do to achieve big success in copywriting, marketing…

…or just about anything, in fact.

It’s from copywriting giant David Garfinkel…

…and it’s a post he wrote over at John Carlton’s blog.

The post itself is titled “The Big Lie”…

…but the subtitle…

…”Want To Know The Dark Secrets Behind Monster Success? It’s Not Pretty”…

…gives a better idea of what it’s all about.

In a nutshell…

…based on his own experience, working with many highly successful people and research by Geoff Colvin (author of “Talent Is Overrated”), David explores…

“What’s the formula for monster success?”

Now, unstated in the blog post is this premise…

“That some people are entitled to, or destined for, greatness, by virtue
of this, that or the other thing (fortunate birth, practice of an esoteric
ritual, etc.) — rather than, there is a predictable, documented, reproducible
replicable series of actions and application of concepts that leads to greatness.”

David kindly shared that with me when I swapped emails with him about the article.

So, what’s the answer?

Well, you can discover the answer for yourself, right here…

…“The Big Lie”.