ETR: No Excuse for Being Unemployed

Saturday - September 19, 2009

I had dinner with the son of one my colleagues the other day. He brought along two friends. All three are in the advertising business in the Big Apple. All three are in their late twenties. All three are smart and capable people. But I was shocked by some of the statements they made. One of them said, "Let's face it, advertising is all about lying." Another said, "When we distribute our concept around the world, the marketing affiliates lose the original artistic integrity. It becomes reduced and bastardized. It's really terrible." Another said, "The thing that blows about work is that you are not really working for yourself." We talked about finding jobs in today's economy. They didn't like what I had to say about it: There's no excuse for being unemployed. Even if we have a 20 percent unemployment rate -- twice what the government says it is today -- eight out of 10 people would still have a job. Being unemployed means you are in the bottom twentieth percentile. There's no excuse for that. You can't get a job by sending out cover letters and resumes. It doesn't matter how good your resume is or how many you send. Getting a job is a personal business. You have a personal objective. And so does your future boss. You can't impress your future boss by talking about how good you are. The only thing he cares about is himself and his problems. So that's what you should talk about. You can't expect to get a job unless you work hard at it. Yet everyone I've ever known who was unemployed has rarely spent more than 10 hours a week on their job search. Anyone who works hard and smart at finding a job will find one -- so long as he's willing to give it at least 50 hours a week. They didn't like that approach at all. They felt it was offensive and demeaning. I didn't know what to say to that. I thought, "Was I that haughty when I was in my twenties?" I shrugged and dropped the conversation. They were, after all, casual acquaintances. In thinking about it later, though, I felt sad. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it was just because I hadn't been appreciated. Maybe it was because they were missing something good. I like quick and easy when it comes to my health. And I can't stand following recipes. But when I found out that Dr. Sears has a recipe for an arthritis remedy that involves gin, I thought I'd give it a chance. And I've been passing it on to my friends with arthritis ever since. Here's what you need for the "gin-soaked raisin cure" for arthritis: 1 lb golden raisins Gin (approximately 1 pint) Glass bowl Glass jar with lid Spread the golden raisins evenly on the bottom of the bowl and pour in enough gin to completely cover them. Stir the raisins occasionally until all the gin is absorbed. It may take 5 to 7 days. When the gin is absorbed, transfer the raisins to the jar, put the lid on, and keep it closed. Do not refrigerate. Dosage: Each day, eat nine raisins -- exactly and only nine raisins a day. If you don't imbibe, don't worry. Almost all the alcohol in the raisins will have evaporated by the time you start eating them. In two weeks, you should notice less pain and more mobility in your affected joints. Want to learn more about this remedy ... plus how to cure a migraine with a dish towel? Click here. And here's another recipe you can try while you're at it: Put a few drops of dry vermouth in a glass and follow it with a cold shot of gin. You'll feel much better. Take a look at the following leads for a $49 pay-per-click e-book program. Can you tell me what is wrong with both of them? Ad #1 The "Problem" Everybody Wants ... *** For Internet Marketers Only *** As an Internet marketer, you know that too much traffic is like too much cash. It's a "problem" everybody wants. Well now it can be your problem, too. (We're talking about a 1,200% traffic increase or more!) Find out how right here. Ad #2 The Internet Marketer's "Drug" of Choice Traffic. It's the Internet marketer's "heroin": You can NEVER have enough. That's because more traffic means more eyes on your sales copy ... And the more eyes on your sales copy, the more sales you can make ... And the more sales you make, the more cash in your pocket. One man discovered a way to skyrocket his clients' traffic. We're talking 13 times the visitors to your site. He also knows exactly how to blast your revenues through the roof. (He made himself 5 times the cash right out the door!) Now, he's agreed to show you exactly how you can do the same. Have you figured it out? They both suffer from the same problem. The leads are too "logical." When it comes to leads, logic doesn't get the job done. That's because selling is first and foremost about moving the heartstrings. It's not about providing reasons the brain can accept. This is true in all forms of advertising, but it is especially true when you are selling information products. That's because your information buyers don't actually need what they are buying. The job of the lead is to create a desire to buy precisely because there is no really good reason to. The way to create desire is to follow my two cardinal rules for writing leads: The Rule of One: Present one and only one exciting idea in the lead. Make sure that idea evokes a useful emotion, and connect that useful emotion to a desired action. The Rule of Six: Present the idea by employing one of the six classic lead types: Secret, Story, Promise/Offer, Invitation, Problem/Solution, or Prediction. Here's are a few examples of how any one of these leads might have read had the copywriter observed my two simple rules: Secret Lead: He calls it the Kalahari Technique. Since he started using it on June 3rd, his website traffic is up 1,200%. Story Lead: John James hadn't told his wife he'd lost his job. He hadn't told her that all he had left in his bank account was $122. He was desperately hoping his little Internet business would start bringing in money before he had to admit his failures. So far, nothing had worked. He was down to his last trick. It was called the Kalahari technique ... Invitation Lead: This is an invitation to be in a small and elite club -- a club that is making a select few Internet marketers very rich. It includes ... Mike H. from Erie, PA, who supercharged his traffic from 4,000 visitors to 32,000 visitors in just 28 days... St. Paul, MN native Jeff P., who boosted his sales by 34% -- in just three and a half weeks... Shane K. of Midland, TX, who DOUBLED his traffic in less than two months... Reader Susan Colby is coming to a major transition point in her life. "I am getting a divorce," she writes. "I am almost 60. I have no formal university education, just a couple of years of junior college. I've worked as a magazine editor and photojournalist for 15+ years. The magazine I worked for recently 'died.' My funds are tied up in real estate." But she isn't letting all that get her down. She views these changes as an opportunity to "reinvent" herself. She asks if I think she should go back to school to get a degree in journalism ... or move on to something else entirely that fits in with her interests: the slow food movement, local foods, the environment, and giving back to the community. Susan, don't go back to college for a degree. It won't do you any good. You are having a tough time getting a job now because you are, as you point out, in a declining industry. The print media business is shrinking, and thousands are being laid off every year. As a 60-year-old, you are automatically put at the back of the hiring line. It doesn't matter that age discrimination is illegal. Businesses don't like hiring people our age than recent college graduates. And we cost more. As an experienced writer and photographer, you have very valuable skills that are in great demand in the online information-publishing industry. In fact, many of your fellow professionals are moving online due to industry changes. In Chapter 8 of Changing the Channel, MaryEllen Tribby and I explain that readership of print magazines and newspapers has been falling for the past two decades. And that drop has resulted in lost ad revenue. "At one time, for example, The New York Times was the only place that summer camps for obese children could effectively advertise. The New York Times still works for such advertising, but today there are dozens of Internet sites on camping that work just as well, or better. Thus, the advertising dollars spent to sell these summer camps may be the same, but the amount going into old-fashioned print is diminishing." Instead of going to college, enroll in a good online program that will teach you how to write advertising and editorial copy for the online information-publishing industry. There are several good ones out there. The one I always recommend is the one I helped develop for American Writers & Artists, Inc. Their veteran publication,The Golden Thread, was recently joined by a new service, Writing for the Web. This e-letter focuses exclusively on tips and strategies for creating powerful online marketing copy that sells. Copywriting is a financially valuable skill that companies are willing to pay top dollar for. And with your background, it seems a perfect fit. Because they're directly tied to a company's profits, copywriters can make upward of six figures. One copywriter I trained earns around $450,000 a year. Another commands $10,000 per promotion. There's really no limit to how much you can make ... provided you're willing to put in the effort. What's more, the demand for good copywriters is enormous. According to the Direct Marketing Association, U.S. direct-marketing sales are expected to surpass $2.16 trillion by the end of this year. That means a lot of companies are counting on good copy to sell their products and services. What Do You Want Your Life to Look Like? "Over the years, I have participated in any number of personal coaching systems. I have had the pleasure of talking with a number of very good, highly qualified coaches both in person and by telephone. Yesterday, Bob Cox set the coaching bar to record heights. "During the entire conversation, I felt completely heard. It was obvious to me that I had 100% of his attention. Bob spoke from his own experience and spoke to what he knew to be true, not what he thought or what he theorized. "Bob spoke clearly and concisely. His attitude was refreshing in that it was obvious that he did not have an agenda to pursue. He wanted me to really understand where I was stuck, and I got it. "Bob provided a number of concrete action steps that I began taking today. These steps will begin the path to achieving the results I want. I am answering the question 'What do I really want my life to look like?'  "Thanks so much for your generosity yesterday, Bob. Talking with you really clarified a number of things for me, as well as forced me to face some pretty hard truths. "I look forward to paying your kindness forward." John Mariotti [Ed. Note: Michael Masterson welcomes your questions and comments. Send him a message at AskMichael@ETRFeedback.com.]

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