Picture this: You are talking to someone you’ve just met, and they ask you about your business. Your elevator speech (you have one don’t you?) is so compelling, the other person says “tell me more”.

So you tell them more.

You are so passionate about your product or service that they whip out their wallet, hand you a credit card and tell you “I would like to buy from you right now”.

Woo hoo! But wait, how can you process their credit card? You aren’t in your office or at your store. No cash register. No computer. No credit card machine. All you have in the room is you… and your mobile phone.

The above scenario actually happened to me just last week.  And it could happen to you.  Watch the video below to see how to solve this dilemma…

(This is the tip I shared this week on the Midweek Momentum webinar)

To view a PDF of the comparison chart I display in the video, click here

To go directly to the companies I mention in the video, click the logos below.  Each will open in a new window…

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Disclaimer: Some links may be affiliate links, earning me a commission if you click and sign up. This helps me keep this blog free for you!

Please take  just a moment and ask yourself…

• Have you have made big plans for 2012, but need some help achieving your goals?
• Would you benefit by having at least six to eight other successful business professionals in your life who are COMMITTED to helping you succeed?
• Could you use a “Board of Advisers” for your business?
• Would it be nice to have a group of people in your life who actually “get you”?

If the answers to the questions above are YES, then you might be a perfect candidate for a MasterMind group.

“You are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with” – Jim Rohn

Please watch the video below to understand the benefits of a MasterMind group, as well as my philosophy behind MasterMinding…

Now that you’ve watched the video, I have an invitation for you…

I love my current MasterMind groups, but for 2012 I want to create an entirely NEW group of people with whom I’ve never MasterMinded before. Therefore, I’m inviting YOU to join me in my free*, all new 2012 MasterMind group!

I’m looking for 6-8 people who are ready to kick butt starting RIGHT NOW!  Are you one of them?

If you are interested in joining me, please use the contact form HERE and send me a message. I’ll get back to you right away with more details and a member applicant questionnaire.

PLEASE DON’T DELAY: The last time I opened up an invitation to a MasterMind, I had way more people interested in joining than I had openings and had to turn away several very cool people who wanted to join.

*Participation in this MasterMind Group will be FREE, however if I have more applicants than openings, it’s only fair that I give preference to existing clients, coaching students and referral partners for membership, right?

I look forward to MasterMinding with you!

How I organize my work day

I had a question posted today on my Facebook page that inspired me to write this post…

First of all, I generally end each day by looking over my agenda for the next day. That way I can leverage my subconscious as I sleep to solve problems or get a jump on any creative projects I need to tackle. So my “day” really begins the night before…

…then my actual day looks like this:

5:00 AM – 10-15 minutes of prayer, then I drink some juice and stretch for a bit

5:30 AM – Organize my day, including office, papers, mail, etc. (Computer and phones off!)

6:00 AM – Write my book. Computer on, but ONLY my word processor open (No other distractions allowed)

7:00 AM – Drive my middle son to school. Visit with him on the way there, on the phone the whole way back home

8:00 AM – Breakfast while checking email and social media updates

9:00 AM to Noon – Pre-scheduled phone calls. Nearly all of my coaching calls, client conference calls, etc. are in this time frame

Noon – Lunch with my youngest son. This is our special time together, and I rarely miss it if I’m not traveling (One of many great benefits of working from home)

1:00 PM – Conference calls or Midweek Momentum webinar if it’s a Wednesday

2:00 PM to 5 PM – Creative work, writing, returning phone calls, email, or whatever else needs to be done that day

5:00 PM and later is family time. I am a very dedicated father with two boys in Boy Scouts AND basketball.  I’m a Scout leader for 21 Deaf boys, and I do a lot of other volunteer work as well.  So my “after hours” time is usually as busy and requires as much planning and scheduling as my work day!

9:00 PM – Back in the office to finish up anything urgent that needs to be done before the day ends, check messages, plan the next day, and get ready to do it all over again.

This is my schedule as I try to keep it in an ideal situation. Keep in mind that I travel a lot for speaking engagements and other business.  Plus of course I have to be flexible to meet the needs of my clients and current projects.  So it doesn’t always work out just like this. Also, one HUGE thing that’s missing is exercise time. I’m still trying to figure out how to fit that in.

I’d love to know… how do you organize YOUR day?  Please leave me your thoughts in the “Comments” section below…

Check out this video of an AWESOME door to door salesman…

Whew!  I sure wish Kenny was working for me!  Why?  Because he’s doing a lot of things right.  For example…

• Making the customer smile
• Using great product demos
• Leveraging “social proof” by talking about all the neighbors who already purchased
• Asking for the order again and again until he gets it…but never pissing off the prospect while doing so
• Selling (what appears to be) a quality product that does what it claims
• Using lots of mnemonics (ie “Don’t panic, it’s organic”) to make it easy for the prospect to understand and remember the benefits of the product

I know I learned a lot and was reminded of even more by watching this video of a master salesman.  Are any of these things good reminders for you as you tell others about your products and services?

Please comment below and let me know what you learned from Kenny the door to door salesman…

Two articles were published yesterday on the topic of Google+…

One article says “Google+ is dead” and the other says “Google+ will beat Facebook“<Links open in new window>

Two drastic predictions on the same day. So click the links above to reach the articles, then let me know…

This is me at the podium presenting at the Affiliate Summit marketing conference in 2008

Every year I speak at an event called Affiliate Summit.  (Click the link to learn more. Opens in new window)

Affiliate Summit is one of the most productive and profitable events I participate in every year.  It’s three days of learning, networking, and cutting edge ideas about growing a successful online business.

The next Affiliate Summit is scheduled for January 8th – 10th, 2012 in Las Vegas, where I’ll be moderating a panel called  “Go Mobile or Go Home!”

Do you want to attend Affiliate Summit for FREE?

The event organizers are giving away FIFTY Gold Passes to the conference (each ticket valued at $549).  Click HERE to enter the contest, and I hope to see you in Vegas in January!

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Disclaimer: I serve on the Affiliate Summit Advisory Board.  However, I am not compensated in any way if you enter this sweepstakes or purchase a registration.  Further, I would still recommend and attend Affiliate Summit even if I wasn’t on the Board.

URGENT AND IMPORTANT

For almost a year, I’ve been working on a project to develop a new technology that will potentially help the tens of millions of people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or late in life hard of hearing. This could include people who had normal hearing when they were younger, but now they simply have a hard time hearing or understanding others when they are in a large crowd, meeting space, or when there is a lot of background noise.

I’m ALSO looking for people who live with anyone fitting the above description.

If you fall into any of these categories, I would REALLY appreciate it if you could help me with a bit of market research. I have just a few (5-10) questions that I would like to email you. These questions won’t take a lot of time to answer, and they could be hugely beneficial to yourself and many, many other people in the long run. I will keep your answers strictly confidential. Although your answers will be seen by our market research team, I will not share your name or contact with anyone unless I have your strict written permission.

So how about it? If you are…

• Deaf
• Hard of hearing
• Late in life hard of hearing
• Living with someone fitting the above

…will you please take 5 minutes today to help me out?

Simply CLICK HERE and use the contact form to let me know you are willing to participate. I’ll then email you the questions.

Thank you in advance for helping me (and perhaps millions of others) with this great new idea!

I know many of people today are looking for ways to make some extra money. Times are tough in a lot of areas…but I firmly believe that we can all help each other weather the storm. I’m a big believer in Zig Ziglar’s famous quote “You can get whatever you want in life, as long as you help enough other people get what they want“.

This quote led me to an idea. Why don’t I offer to help you earn some extra income by formalizing a referral program? This will allow you to earn revenue simply for connecting me with companies who need my help.

How?

All you have to do is connect me with a new client…and I’ll pay you a generous referral fee as a thank you! We’re talking about potentially thousands, or tens of thousands of dollars in your pocket…just for making a simple business introduction.

I guarantee you know at least one company who can benefit from our services.  Just take just a moment to review the information below, brainstorm who you know that could benefit, then send me an email or give me a call to make the connection.

You will actually be helping THREE entities:

• Yourself by earning a referral
• Me by helping to generate revenue
• The company you refer, because we will help them increase their profits

Here are the services to consider referring:

BUSINESS CONSULTING

Who – Any company who sells products or services to consumers and needs to increase their revenue (come on, I KNOW you know someone who fits this!). We’ve generated over $1 billion in revenue for our clients marketing everything from sporting goods to artwork, sunglasses to hockey tickets, and everything in between.

What – We work with companies around the world to help them find new income opportunities, promote themselves online, start new divisions, revamp ailing sales & marketing departments, and much more.

How much – Our consulting contracts range from $2,000 to $15,000 per month, and we’ll pay you 10% of that…for as long as we’re working with that client!

What others have to say – “When I had an opportunity to hire a partner to work with us to develop a marketing plan for a new project, Marty was a very easy choice. We were able to win the new business and we are now moving very quickly toward another successful product launch. I would recommend Marty without hesitation.”
— Fred Sumner

BUSINESS COACHING

Who – Any business owner, marketing executive, licensed professional or entrepreneur who needs clarity, focus, and a helping hand with their business.  From brainstorming to goal-setting (and goal achieving!) my Business Coaching can help almost anyone achieve greater success.

What – Regularly scheduled telephone coaching sessions custom-tailored to help the coaching client achieve their goals. Everyone needs a coach!

How much – Starting at just a few hundred dollars, Business Coaching may be the best investment any business owner can make.  We will pay you 10% of any coaching fees collected for the LIFE of the client.

What others have to say  – “Marty has been coaching me for the past few months, and every time I’m on a call with him, he pushes me do more than I ever thought I could. His methods and suggestions are always constructive and beneficial. He is extremely professional and even more friendly. He has inspired me to accelerate my business to a place where I thought was not possible in such a short amount of time. Hands down, I couldn’t ask for a better coach.“
— Paul Szuflita

TELESEMINAR AND WEBINAR PRODUCTION

Who – Any company, speaker, expert, or other high profile entity that wants to leverage their knowledge and platform to generate revenue via this cool medium.

What – We’ve produced world class turn-key events for our clients which have generated as much as $75,000 per Teleseminar or webinar. We also provide marketing and consultation services for people who produce their own events.

How much – Our production fees range from $2,500 to $10,000. We will pay you 15% for any client you refer.

What others have to say – “I’ve worked with Marty for more than a dozen online events during the past 3 years.  He is an exceptional speaker and moderator. He keeps the audience engaged with a professional approach and a great sense of humor throughout any situation. I recommend Marty as a speaker, event moderator and marketing partner for any business that includes event marketing in its plans.“
— Mary Miller

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

I speak on topics such as business, marketing, internet marketing, social media, infomercials, personal branding…and how to effectively combine all of the above.

Who – Any group of business owners, managers, executives, or marketers. This could include a trade association, chambers of commerce, private organization, marketing event, business networking groups, etc.

What – Keynote speeches, breakouts, panel moderator, teleseminars, etc.  More info here

How much – 25% of any speaking fees generated based on your recommendation.

What others have to say – “Wow! Marty is a breath of fresh air, and knows his stuff! He came prepared, gave a great presentation, and all the members were saying that Marty was the BEST speaker we have ever had. Pretty good for a group that has been around for about 30 years! I would highly recommend Marty for any presentations, or trainings you may have, you will not be disappointed. He delivers where most speakers fail, and keeps everyone interested.“
— Tim Dinneen

How do you collect your money? – Simply make an “endorsed introduction” with me and the prospective client and I’ll take care of the rest. If you know of a company that needs to increase their revenue, needs help with their marketing, or is falling behind the curve when it comes to promoting their products online, connect them with me, and we’ll see if there is a fit.

Questions? Ready to make a referral now?  Then contact me by clicking HERE!

Thanks again for reading, and I look forward to sending you some big referral checks!

I saw this awesome excerpt from a Teddy Roosevelt speech on a blog yesterday.  It really resonated with me on many levels, so I wanted to share it with you…

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”
Teddy Roosevelt “Citizenship in a Republic,” Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

I’ve read it over and over, and each time I get something more out of it.   Here are just a few key thoughts:

• Don’t sit by wishing and watching.  Go and actually DO something big, scary and perhaps even intimidating.  You’ll grow from it no matter what
• Continue to TRY no matter the obstacle, no matter how bruised and bloody you become.  Don’t sit around wondering “what if”.
• Have the courage to fail
• Have the courage to succeed
• Ignore the critics who often let fear stop themselves from attempting anything big or important

What about you?  What do you believe is the most important message in what Teddy had to say? (Please comment below)

A movie just came out this past week called “The Help”.   I haven’t seen it yet, but I plan to see it soon with my daughter.  I think it looks pretty good.    The movie is based on a book written by Kathryn Stockett.

Did you know that Kathyrn’s book was rejected SIXTY TIMES before finally being published?  Wow!

I read a very powerful interview with Kathyrn about never giving up, pursuing your passion, and doing whatever it takes to succeed.

I  want to share it with you…

CLICK HERE to read the full article
(Opens in new window)

Below are some key take-aways for me out of this interview, along with my comments noted with <>:

“If you ask my husband my best trait, he’ll smile and say, “She never gives up.” But if you ask him my worst trait, he’ll get a funny tic in his cheek, narrow his eyes and hiss, “She. Never. Gives. Up.”
<I guess never giving up means NEVER giving up on anything!>

“Sometimes I’d go to literary conferences, just to be around other writers trying to get published”
<Great idea.  Hang out with people who understand you and can encourage you>

“In the end, I received 60 rejections for The Help. But letter number 61 was the one that accepted me.  What if I had given up at 15? Or 40? Or even 60?”
<Indeed, what if she had given up?>

“I can’t tell you how to succeed. But I can tell you how not to: Give in to the shame of being rejected and put your manuscript—or painting, song, voice, dance moves, [insert passion here]—in the coffin that is your bedside drawer and close it for good. I guarantee you that it won’t take you anywhere.”
<Yikes, now I’m feeling guilty about the book I’ve been “working on” for 4 years now…and never finished.>

What do you think about this interview?  Could you suffer through 60 rejections before you reach your goal?

Have you tried something big and given up before the “Magic Yes” came to you?

If so, what are you going to do about it?