In Praise of Criticism... Why You Must Learn the "Science" of Marketing... the True Meaning of Freedom... and Much More
By Michael Masterson
This week in Early to Rise we have a batch of essays on some of the core themes that drive our business... and our lives. Today, I explain the art of productive criticism. And I give you a three-part technique for criticizing others that motivates them to achieve more. It's the key to improving the performance of your proteges, key employees, and even clients. I also talk about how to grill a successful businessmen for all his best secrets, why you shouldn't pinch pennies, and one of Big Pharma's dirtiest little secrets. (Yes, they have plenty.) Later in the week... David Cross talks about something that is definitely not an art: designing and tracking your marketing campaigns. The Internet makes it extremely easy to find out, to the penny, how well your efforts did and then work to improve those results. But too many Internet marketers, says David, are just "winging it." We also have an inspiring piece from success mentor Dr. Srikumar Rao. A newcomer to ETR, Dr. Rao specializes in teaching people how to surmount the barriers that are keeping them from being happy and achieving what they want in life. Dr. Rao led a workshop with the ETR staff several months back. The workshop not only led to breakthroughs for team members, but to a new program for ETR readers. You'll get a sneak peek in his essay. From Bob Bly we learn that no matter how well you know your industry, you still need to start from scratch for your keyword research. Without this backbone of solid data, search engine marketing is useless. Robert Ringer reflects on what freedom truly means for the individual. And he explains why the government and special interest groups -- no matter how "well-intentioned" -- restrict it. ---------------------------------------------- Highly Recommended ---------------------------------------------------- "If a picture truly is worth a thousand words, we're about to make a hell of a lot of money!" -- The multibillion-dollar "home shopping" industry got its start on cable access TV. It was a low-budget "operation" run by three guys in Central Florida. Before they had even made their first dollar, their success was a sure thing. They had the "Billionaire Mindset"... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it." Dwight D. Eisenhower The Art of Criticism ... the Skill of Praise
By Michael Masterson How can you get your key employees to quickly develop the skills and talents they need? How do you get them to understand what you understand? In short, how do you get them to succeed? These people can make your future immensely richer, fuller, and happier. But much of what they eventually give you depends on how good you are at providing them with advice and direction in a way that makes them feel motivated instead of discouraged. There's a Reason They Call It the Golden Rule The first and most important rule of productive criticism is to treat the other person the way you would want to be treated. And that means, for the most part, taking your own interests out of the equation. Let's say you asked an employee to learn SEO marketing and you're disappointed in the progress he's made. Don't tell him how tired you are of doing it yourself and how happy you'll be when he's ready to tackle the job. Inspire him by explaining how valuable he will be to the company once he has become an SEO expert. By taking yourself out of the picture, you will have a clearer sense of what to say to motivate him. Your enthusiasm for wanting to help him will show through -- and he will respond to it. What follows is the strategy I use to mentor employees who have the potential to become "superstars." I developed it in a higgledy-piggledy fashion over the years, but it works for me. I expect it will work for you too. A Long-Term Strategy That Begins With a Show of Faith Begin any mentoring relationship with a dose of praise. Resist the urge to criticize, even if your first experience with the person's work has been negative. Frankness may feel good, but it is counterproductive at this stage. Instead, find something that is good and worthy in your protege and praise him for it. Do it publicly, genuinely, and repeatedly. You need a foundation of trust to build on. You need to demonstrate to your protege that you believe in him, just as he needs to believe in himself. This is a critical part of the process. Don't ignore or gloss over it. You must find something praiseworthy. And you must be entirely sincere in your commendation. If you really cannot find anything to salute, you have chosen the wrong person to work with. It's Just As Important to Give Criticism When It's Due In the world of copywriting, I used to be a terribly fierce editor. It was not beyond me to write "gibberish" in the margin of a young writer's heartfelt prose. I reformed myself by coming up with a way to improve copy that banishes negative criticism. (If you'd like to learn more about this "peer review" process, I explain it in detail in my new book, Copy Logic. You can purchase it by going here.) But I still criticize copy when I know the writer (a) needs to hear the criticism and (b) is emotionally ready to receive it. Some time ago, Paul Hollingshead, one of the most successful copywriters I know and a former protege of mine, sent me a note commenting on some criticism that I leveled at a writer whom we had both been mentoring. Here is what he had to say: "Those comments on AB really take me back. They are direct and right on the money. Now, I truly realize why I've had some success writing this stuff. I remember reading comments similar to these and they jolted... forced... embarrassed me into becoming a better writer. It's good, in a way, that AB wrote such a terrible piece of copy. Otherwise you wouldn't have responded as you did. And AB would never have gotten the benefit of your frank criticism. That's how I got better. There's no way I'd be here if you or anyone else had 'pussyfooted' around bad copy and tried to spare my feelings." But here's the point. I don't think Paul would have become the copywriter he is today if I'd criticized his first attempt at writing copy. He might have decided that he was better off in some other profession. In truth, I knew immediately that Paul was a natural-born copywriter. He had a believable "voice" that showed through everything he wrote. I told him that. I told him how rare it is. I predicted he'd be a great copywriter. That was my show of faith. And that gave him, I believe, a foundation upon which he could stand when the time came for me to hit him with some serious critiques. How to Productively Praise and Criticize Anyone Who Is Worth Your Time * First, make her believe that you believe in her. Be honest. Be specific. Be profuse in your praise. * Next, work with her for a while, giving helpful hints and gentle suggestions. Expect some progress, but not a lot. What you are looking to do is establish (a) the authority of your knowledge and (b) a common vocabulary. * Then -- after she has made good progress but reached a plateau -- give her some direct, strong advice. Don't be nasty, but be frank. Expect her to take it badly. Ignore her first, defensive response, if she has one. Remind her that you believe in her. Encourage her to continue. At this point, one of two things will happen:
- She will run away from you and never come back.
- She will come back with an open mind, eager to move forward.
If she disappears, don't worry about it. You did all you could for her. If she comes back, you have a superstar on your hands. The future is bright. P.S. Much of your success can be traced directly to how you relate to those around you -- and not just when it comes to doling out praise and criticism. There are many ways of interacting with the world that can affect your happiness and achievements. Later in the week, you'll be hearing about a new program we've developed with one of the world's top experts in personal success, Dr. Srikumar Rao. Keep an eye on your inbox for details. ----------------------------------------------Highly Recommended --------------------------------------------------- Increase Your Wealth by Managing Risk Like the Pros - You can't take all the risk out of investing. But you can take much of it away. More important, you can remove the worst aspects of risk -- those that cause fear and result in bad investment decisions. ETR'S own Charles Newcastle has developed a quick and simple four-step "risk removal" system that could bring you 132%+ gains in a matter of weeks. Read more... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use Your Time to Make Real Money, Not Count Small Change
By Michael Masterson
One of the stupidest and most damaging myths is that you can become wealthy by pinching pennies. Suze Orman and David Bach should be arrested for perpetuating this idiotic idea. And the media powerbrokers who give them a soapbox to stand on -- starting with Oprah Winfrey -- should be tarred and feathered as accomplices. I've never known anyone who became financially secure by making budgets and cutting corners. And I'll guarantee you that's not the way Suze and David did it. They made their money the way all wealthy people make their money -- by working really hard. That's the only way to get out of the red sea and up onto the gravy boat. What's that you say? You know several rich people who are really tight with their money? Well, I'm sure you do. But for every one of those bastards, I'll show you two wealthy people who are and always have been generous spenders. Including yours truly. Stingy rich people are parsimonious because they enjoy being so. Pinching pennies isn't a financial planning strategy for them, it's a twisted hobby. Here's the truth that you won't hear from anybody famous but you'll hear it from little ol' me: To make a lot of money, you must earn it. Not by saving or trying to outwit the IRS, but by building a business -- creating products and selling them. I'm not saying a businessman shouldn't be careful with expenditures. It is quite possible to bankrupt a business by foolish spending. But the lion's share of your time must always be devoted to bringing in the bacon. An example: One of my colleagues spends a lot of time policing his company's parking lot. He "patrols" the lot two or three times a day to check for vehicles that don't have a parking sticker. When he finds an offender, he pastes a warning note on the windshield and records the license plate number. Then he re-records it with his secretary. Last week, we had a meeting at his office to talk about a potential deal. He couldn't stay focused on the deal, because he kept looking out the window, hell-bent on catching a parking bandit in the act. "Maybe you should stop policing the parking lot," I suggested. He looked at me for a long moment and sighed. "That's a good idea," he said. "My doctor told me I have to reduce stress, and that parking lot is making me nuts." Then he shook his head. "Nah," he said. "I can't afford to hire someone else to do it." Now this is a very bright guy and a talented businessman. He is not the jackass I am making him out to be. But it doesn't occur to him that he's wasting precious time on something that doesn't matter. If he devoted his policing time to coming up with new business ideas he could buy himself a dozen parking lots -- complete with full-time attendants -- every year. And he wouldn't have to worry about whether or not he could afford anything. This goes for everybody. If you want to solve your money problems -- whatever they are -- come up with some ideas to make more money. If you don't have any ideas, just keep reading ETR. We give them out like biscuits at a dog show. Are You Taking Statin Drugs? Read This Immediately
By Michael Masterson
Surprise. Surprise. Yet another important bit of information has been swept under the rug by Big Pharma. Turns out that statins, a $20 billion cash cow for the drug industry, have a serious side effect: They can cause a huge drop in the body's level of CoQ10. And if you're one of the 13 million people on statins, there's a good chance your doctor is not aware of it. CoQ10 lowers blood pressure and reduces cholesterol. It also boosts immunity and protects the brain. Most important, Total Health Breakthrough's Melanie Segala points out, this essential nutrient facilitates the production of energy in every cell in your body. If you take statins, read Melanie's recent "Undercover" article. Then talk to your doctor about supplementing with CoQ10. Dr. Al Sears calls CoQ10 "a miracle heart energizer." He recommends 100 mg per day if you take statins or have high blood pressure, heart disease, or chronic fatigue. A Conversational Trick That I Promised Myself I'd Practice More Often
By Michael Masterson
If you are lucky enough to be in the company of a successful businessman, don't waste his precious time -- and yours -- chitchatting about baseball. This is a rare opportunity that should be treasured. So take advantage of it. Ask good questions, such as:
- What was your biggest business challenge this year?
- What is the accomplishment you are most proud of?
- Have you met any interesting people?
If you do, this is what will happen: First, you will be surprised at how forthcoming he will be. (Most successful people are.) Second, you will be astonished by how much you learn. People will tell you the most amazing things if you let them. You might even hear their most valuable secrets. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Latest News - Have you signed up for Info-Marketing Bootcamp yet? The deadline to get your room at the Delray Beach Marriott (our host hotel) at our specially discounted rate is this Saturday. Go here to get all the details. Don't wait.
- The Internet Money Club Class of 2010 isn't open yet... but you can get your name on the waiting list. Sign up now, and you'll get all the details on ETR's top Internet business coaching program. And you'll be at the head of the line to get one of the program's limited spots. Sign up for the IMC Hot List here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Today's issue is just great! I loved every article, and found each one relevant in one way or another to my life. Thanks so much for what you do."
Willie Lieske
Milwaukee, WI ---------------------------------------------- Highly Recommended --------------------------------------------------- Nobody's Going to Visit Your Business Website... Unless You Give Them a Reason - Everybody and his uncle has a website these days. But 99% of them aren't making any money. The first step toward Internet wealth is to get people to visit your site. Until now, that hasn't been easy. But thanks to a technique you already use every day -- but don't recognize the potential of -- you can attract thousands of "primed to buy" prospects. And it's totally free. That's ZERO marketing expenses. Read more... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Words That Work: Parsimonious Parsimonious (par-suh-MOH-nee-us) is another way of saying miserly or excessively frugal.
Example (as used by Michael Masterson today): "Stingy rich people are parsimonious because they enjoy being so. Pinching pennies isn't a financial planning strategy for them, it's a twisted hobby." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We want your feedback! Let us know your thoughts on today's issue. Email us at: AskETR@ETRFeedback.com | 
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