Joel Comm's Blog, page 22

The Best Response to ‘Sell Me This Pen’

It’s a classic pair of scenes. Leonardo DiCaprio, playing former stockbroker Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street, takes a pen out of his pocket and challenges top sales executives to sell him that pen. It looks like a real challenge for any sales professional, the kind of question that can separate a real salesperson from those who are never going to hit their targets. It’s no surprise that it’s a technique that’s been copied by hiring staff across the country. Why try to think up a tough interview question when Martin Scorsese has just handed you one? It’s still a good question, not because it’s tough but because it’s easy, and if your prospective employee doesn’t know the answer, then he or she probably doesn’t know the basics of selling. It comes down to one simple trick. You have to know the buyer. Belfort, now a motivational speaker, has explained it himself. If you want to sell the pen, you ask the buyer questions. You ask him how long he’s been looking for a pen, why he wants a pen, what owning a pen means to him. If a potential hire starts asking questions instead of looking for the pen’s USPs, you can be sure she knows what she’s doing. It’s not a new trick. The first sales speaker I ever saw was Zig Ziglar, and no one knew more about sales and success than he did. There’s a story about Ziglar being interviewed by Johnny Carson: Carson points at the ashtray on the desk and says: “They say you’re the world’s greatest salesman. So sell me this ashtray.” Ziglar thinks for a second and replies: “Before I can do that, I’d have to know why you want the ashtray.” Carson looks at the ashtray. “I guess it’s well-made, it looks pretty nice, and it’s a good ashtray.” “OK,” says Ziglar, “but you’d have to tell me what you think it’s worth to you.” “I don’t know,” says Carson. “I guess $20 would be about right.” Ziglar smiles. “Sold,” he says. In practice, pitches rarely go that easily, and when you’re selling, you’ll need to do a bit more work. So the next step after asking enough questions to know the buyer is to build an emotional attachment. You can do that with a story. You might point out that when presidents sign treaties, they use a different pen for each signature and they give the pen to one of the people who helped to make that treaty happen. The pen becomes a souvenir. It reminds them of a historic moment. The same is true of the pen the interviewee is selling to the interviewer. It’s not just a pen. It’s the pen the interviewer used to sign her last deal and build her business. The pen is cheap, but the memories … they’re available for a bargain. It doesn’t matter what you’re selling; you have to know the buyer, and you have to give him a story that builds an emotional attachment to the product. It’s not a big trick, and today’s sales channels have made meeting that challenge easier than ever … even when all you’re selling is a ball pen.

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How to Get Unstuck

Isn’t it funny how we find ourselves sharing the very message that we need to hear? In my last article I talked honestly about how easily we can get stuck. – Stuck in relationships – Stuck with our finances – Stuck in a job that we don’t like – Stuck with how to grow our own business I just got back from Washington, D.C., where I experienced the good, the bad and the very ugly of humanity. It was emotionally draining and by the time I turned out my lights last night I was exhausted. And today? Well, I felt stuck. In fact, I felt so stuck that I almost didn’t write this email for you. Then I remembered what it was I wanted to say… and I had no alternative. I promised you that I would provide you with the solution for getting unstuck. And you’re about to discover what I did that you must apply to your own circumstances if you want to get unstuck. It’s not a pill you can swallow that will take care of your problems. It’s not a new year’s resolution. It’s already getting into late January. We’re over it, right? And it’s not a book with 7 easy steps that will have you on your way faster than you can microwave popcorn. In fact, it’s harder but less complicated than all that.  And every change in your life that you make comes down to this one simple solution. It comes down to your choices. With the exception of things that are beyond your control, you are where you are today because of the choices you have made. And with the exception of those who have actually been victimized at the hands of someone else, you don’t have an excuse. You don’t get to play victim. The decisions that you and I make set the trajectory for our destination. The trajectory doesn’t mean we’ll always hit the mark, but the odds of getting close to that goal are sure much better if we aim for that goal. So why are you stuck? You made a choice to be stuck. That horrible relationship you are in?  Unless you are a prisoner shackled to the door, you have choices. That “American dream” which has eaten up your finances? There is always a way out. That job which you absolutely hate? You are there because you choose to be there. And I can tell you why the majority of you are still there. You are afraid.  What will happen if I choose to change things? I may be alone. I may end up homeless. I may be unemployed. Yes, all of those things CAN happen. But one thing is for sure… If you stay stuck, you’ll never know. And you’ll never get to experience what you REALLY want out of life. It’s said that real change happens when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing. Go read that sentence again if it didn’t sink in. We are pain averse. We do whatever we can to avoid pain, be it physical, emotional or financial. You may feel the pain of smoking…. … but the pain of quitting and going without feels like it would be worse. You may experience the pain of being financially overextended… … but it’s better than risking losing it all. You may feel the pain of your job… … but that doesn’t feel as bad as the perceived pain of starting your own business.  Pain is a motivator. It is an indicator there to tell us that something is wrong. When you have pain in your body, you see a medical professional. When your taxes are out of whack, you see an accountant. Pain is there to alert us that something needs attention. But avoiding pain can put the spotlight on a greater pain… the pain of being stuck. The pain of not living up to our full potential.  The pain of asking ourselves, “is that all there is?” That pain sucks. Because it is filled with regret. It is a life unlived. Are you stuck in that horrible relationship? Make the choice to not tolerate it a moment longer. Have honest conversations with your spouse, partner or friend. Be real. Be honest. Try to find a solution. Try to make it work.  If it doesn’t, you may have to make another really tough choice. Are you stuck with the big house that you can’t afford the mortgage for?  Make the choice to find a way out. Take a second job. Start a business. Downsize to a smaller place. Get rid of the extraneous “stuff” that you don’t really need anyhow. The stress isn’t worth it. And are you stuck in a career that drains the life out of you? Or is your business stagnant? It may be time to make a choice. To take a leap of faith in the direction of your dreams and see what happens. I don’t want to minimize those who are having an extra difficult time. There may be circumstances you have absolutely no control over. But you still have a choice as to how you will navigate the hand life has dealt you. I was stuck today. I didn’t feel like writing this article. But I remembered my commitment to you, and I made a choice.  Sure, it was a small thing. But I can point to small choices and major life choices that I’ve made which have helped me get where I want to be. It’s not about the size of the choice. It’s that in those moments where we feel stuck, we recognize that we are fully empowered to change things. It’s up to you. And it all begins with a choice. Once you know you are all-in and ready to make that choice, you’ll be prepared for the next step. Recognizing that there is a problem and committing to make a change is the essential choice we call “decision.” […]

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Are You Stuck?

We’ve all been stuck. Stuck with a physical illness. Stuck in a difficult relationship. Stuck in a job we don’t like (or hate). Stuck. Stuck. Stuck. And let’s face it. Stuck sucks. It’s uncomfortable. It’s painful. And sometimes, it can feel hopeless. I get it. I’ve been there. Stuck sucks. Sometime we are stuck because of circumstances beyond our control. But sometimes we are stuck because of our own decisions. And sometimes it APPEARS we can’t do anything… .. but we actually can. Perhaps it’s time for a self-evaluation. If you feel stuck, why are you there? Is it because of someone or something else? You might be in a tough relationship that you are fully committed to in spite of your circumstances. All you can control is how you will respond. Did you dig a hole that you feel you can’t escape from? You might have gone to school for a degree, bought the “American dream” of a big house in an expensive neighborhood and all the accessories necessary to keep up with the fictional Joneses. Is it all in your head? That is, are you seeing and perceiving your reality in a limiting way. Maybe you’ve heard people tell you that you can’t do something. And maybe it’s been easier to internalize it than to overcome and do that thing. Just be honest with yourself. Why are you stuck? And once you come to terms with the real, gut-level, honest reasons for being stuck, that’s when it gets really challenging. Because once you identify the problem (hint: in most cases it’s NOT because of other people or your circumstances), the really tough question surfaces… What are you going to do about it? More… in my next blog entry. (Hint: There is hope!)

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How to Murder Your Business in 2017 – Joel.LIVE with John Carlton

John Carlton is the most ripped-off copywriter on the web. Famous for creating legendary copy, John’s work is known worldwide. Having worked with illustrious peers such as Gary Halbert and Jay Abraham, few people understand copy like John. On this episode of Joel.LIVE, Joel and John discuss how to make a mess of your business in 2017. Once you understand how business owners screw up, you can make sure you don’t make the same mistakes! This is one of my most-viewed live shows, so I’m sure you’ll get great value out of the replay.

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The Most Important Key to Your Success

In my previous article, I pointed out how important it is to have vision. You have to see where it is you want to go with your business. I’ve also discussed how essential it is to have stamina. If you aren’t prepared for the difficult times, you won’t be able to keep a business afloat. Now we get to the nitty gritty. This is where I share what I believe is the most important key to your success. Any guesses? I see some hands going up. It’s okay. Just shout out your answer. No really… go ahead. (Besides, if someone else is in the room you’ll confuse them… that would be fun!) Ok, someone said “money.” Money is important. But many businesses have started with nothing and achieved great success. Personally, I’ve never gone in debt to finance a business. If I don’t have the money to do it, I’ll do something else that costs less. (I’ve nothing against raising capital…. I just don’t want to do it.) I heard someone else say “take action!” Taking action is very important. Nothing happens unless you do something. Whether it’s writing copy, hiring a consultant, designing a logo or hanging a shingle, action is most certainly a requirement for your business success. But action in and of itself is not always productive. In fact, I can’t count the number of times I took action that was counter-productive. So while taking action is important, it’s not the answer I’m looking for. There’s a guy in the back of the room who is jumping up and down waving his arm. He reminds me of Arnold Horshack from Welcome Back, Kotter. “Ooh ooh! Mr. Kotter! Pick me!” (I’ve really dated myself now, haven’t I?) Yes, what’s your answer? “A great product or service!” Absolutely. If we aren’t selling a great product or service, I wonder why bother at all. And yet, there are plenty of sub-par products and services which have become very successful due to fantastic branding and mindshare. Oh, so branding is the answer? Nope. Branding is very important. But it’s just a piece of the bigger puzzle. Give up? Well, many of you may have guessed just based on the photo that appears with this piece. See those people? They are the answer. Whether or not it’s those specific people I am referring to, I’m speaking in a broader sense. And there are two reasons that PEOPLE are the most important key to your success: 1) You are NOT in the business of selling a product or service I just saw some of you do a double-take. What? Let me say it again. You are NOT in the business of selling a product or service. You are in the business of SERVING PEOPLE with the value that your product or service delivers. Without people whose problems are solved with your product or service, you have no business. None. Zip. Zilch. Zero. Nada. Donut. Bupkis. When you put your attention on the people you are serving and how their lives will be enriched by giving you their money, your priorities are in the right place. 2) Relationships are EVERYTHING The axiom “it’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know” still reigns true. Your business can offer a great product or service with fantastic branding. You could have venture capital coming out your ears. You may be the greatest action-taker since Batman. But with few exceptions and outliers, the relationships you have with others will determine how successful you are in your business. I’m not talking about “using” people to build your business. Fair exchange of value is important in the transactions you negotiate. I’m talking about treating your vendors, your employees, your contractors, your associates and your customers as human beings. Because surprise, surprise… that’s what we all are. Human beings with hopes, dreams, wishes and desires paired with our own share of failure, fear, guilt and loss. It’s why I believe that even though people can be radically different in their political or religious views, there is more that makes us alike than that which separates us. And it is when we connect with other people AS real people that the magic happens. That person that you met at the networking event eight years ago may wander back into your life as a key supplier. The guy you bumped into at the coffee shop could become a great customer. The woman sitting next to you on your next flight might be the buyer for a big department store. The person you judged because of their shorts and t-shirt could be the CEO of the next Silicon Valley Cinderella story. And the time you spent freely sharing your expertise and knowledge with them might land you a first class ticket to their office for a high-dollar consulting gig one day. It’s all about people. It’s all about relationships. Have I made my point clear? How will that affect what you do and how you do it? I’ve got more to say on this topic. When I look back on my past successes there is a common theme. In my next article, I’m going to share that theme with you. I think you’ll be able to apply it to your life. If you’ve been inspired by this piece, please forward it to someone you think would benefit from it. Anyone can subscribe to my newsletter for free by sending a blank email to joelcomm@aweber.com Of course, I’d love to hear your comments in the space below. P.S. – I’m proud to call all the people in the photo my friends. They are left to right, Michael Stelzer, Brian Solis, Amy Schmittauer and Vincenzo Landino. This was taken at last year’s Social Media Marketing World in San Diego. P.P.S – At the beginning of this article I said “Let’s see what I say…” – That’s actually completely true. When I sit down to share with you, I usually don’t know what is going to […]

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The Dirty Little Secret Successful People Don’t Tell You… But I Will

Come in closer… i want to tell you a secret… It’s about that guy on Facebook who always posts how he is “killing it” with his business. It’s about that gal bragging about her new super-exotic car and vacations on the beach. It’s about that person who never seems to have a bad day because their business is so amazing. That guy may be killing it. That gal may have the fast car. And that person may have an amazing business. But here’s what they aren’t tell you… The rest of the story. Why not? Because no one wants to live the rest of the story. Trust me… you don’t want to. It’s ugly. And I’m going to share 3 points from that side of the story. 1) Don’t confuse appearances with success. It doesn’t take much to give the appearance that you are successful. Rent an expensive mansion. Rent an expensive car. Hire some professional models. Dress nice and shoot a video where you speak with great authority. Bam. Instant appearance of success. Don’t believe everything you see. Because even if  all of that “beautiful” show really is that great, it comes with a pricetag. Sometimes, a very hefty pricetag. 2) When someone brags about how much money there are making, they often frame it in a way that is most favorable to them. In 2015, Amazon.com processed about $107 BILLION in sales. That’s $107,000,000,000! Would you be surprised to discover that their NET income was just shy of $600 million? That’s because once you take away the cost of goods sold, staffing, support,  affiliates and all other expenses, there’s not always much left. On a scale that is more relatable to you and I, be wary of the marketer who says he made $1,000,000 with his sale. After expenses, that marketer is fortunate if he walks away with 25% of that as net income.  Still, it’s a nice payday. But it’s not as large as it is being sold. 3) And the real hard truth is this… Have you heard of the guy who had his most trusted employee embezzle from him, not only costing him time and money, but also emotional anguish? How about the guy who hired a smooth-talker to run his business, only to discover it was being run into the ground? And what about the guy who invested six figures into a new technology only to fail miserably at marketing the product and having to flush his investment down the drain? You actually know that guy, because that guy is me! It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, my friends. It’s not all money and fast cars. It’s the reality of doing business. And it can be hard. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you. They just want your money. RUN from those people! While I would definitely alter some of my choices if I could (and I can’t), I wouldn’t trade running my own business for anything. In my last email I asked if you had “vision” for what your life would look like with your own business? Now I’m going to ask you another question. Do you have the stamina to fight for what you want? Will you push through the difficult times and make a decision to continue pursuing your dream even when an employee steals from you… when a friend betrays you… when you fail at a task that you were certain would succeed? If so, then you may indeed be prepared to break free of the chains that bind you and live your dreams. Keep reading my blog because I’m going to tell you how YOU are going to do it. I’ll reveal what is selling like hotcakes RIGHT NOW, and how you are prepared to take advantage of it.

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Why New Years Resolutions Don’t Work… and What You Can Do About It

Well, here we are again. A new year. And with it, the desire for new beginnings. I’m not a believer in resolutions. It’s because the overwhelming majority of them fall apart after that first visit to the gym. There’s nothing wrong with resolving to make changes in our lives. Lose weight, get fit, stop smoking, be a better father/mother/husband/wife/sister/brother/son/daughter, etc, eat out less, say “I love you” more… Those are all worthy aspirations. But how bad do you REALLY want it? If you just kind of want it, odds are you won’t really get it. You have to want it with every fiber of your being. That’s why I prefer to call my major life adjustments “revolutions.” And they don’t need a new year to be triggered. A revolution is what happens when you make a decision that what you are doing is not only NOT working for you… but that you won’t put up with it a moment longer. It’s what happens when you come to a decision that enough is enough. At that point, you don’t have to “try” to lose weight, quit smoking or whatever else it is you want to do. As that great little green sage Yoda once said, “there is no try… only do.” At that point you just do it. Intuitively.. instinctively… because it is now in your nature to do so. An internal revolution has taken place and it will now become reality in your world. And trying won’t be part of the equation. You’ll just do it. (Sorry, Nike… people were saying this before you.) Are you ready for a personal revolution? It can be today. But it doesn’t have to be. February 22nd will work. April 4th is a good day. I hear July 30th is going to be fantastic. And October 12th? Awesome day for a revolution! In fact, any day is a great day for a revolution. It’s the day you decide that change is not only necessary, but that you have the faith to accomplish it. You’ll know it when it arrives, because the strength of your decision will be the fuel for your revolution. And nothing, and no one, will be able to stop you.

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How a Nonprofit Hijacked a Twitter Hashtag and Brought Clean Water to Haiti

You use social media now to hold conversations. But what if you could use it to change the conversation? What if you could take a popular hashtag, used every day across social media, and give it an entirely new meaning? That’s what WaterisLife.com, a non-profit dedicated to bringing clean water to the world’s poorest populations, set out to do with its Hashtag Killer campaign. The award-winning campaign was launched in 2012 but it remains the most powerful example of an organization hijacking a popular meme and entirely reinventing it. The result for the organization in terms of stats alone was seven million views on YouTube and more than 21 million Facebook views. In fact, the benefits went much deeper than that. The campaign was run by advertising company DBB, which took popular and recurring themes that people attached to the hashtag #FirstWorldProblems. You’ve seen those tweets. People complain about not finding Pokemons at their parents’ beach house. Or not being able to use Hulu in Canada when they can see New York from their window. “We saw the popularity of #FirstWorldProblems and got the idea to hijack it for good,” explained Ken Surritte, CEO and Founder of Water is Life. “Poking fun at ourselves but talking about what is really important: a third of the world needs water.” DBB picked problems that people highlighted again and again, and asked children and staff at an orphanage in Haiti to read them aloud and answer them. So we see kids who own little more than their shirt, shorts and flip flops complain that their leather seats aren’t heated and that their iPhone chargers won’t reach their bed. We see a little girl complain about leaving her clothes in the washer so long that they start to smell… while behind her, other children wash clothes by hand in a muddy stream. And we also see them sympathize with people who were awoken by their cleaning ladies, and offer to bring them something they’ve forgotten. It’s a touching series of videos that puts those first world problems into perspective. The campaign was covered on a host of media outlets but more importantly, in addition to generating views, it also generated donations. With the money raised, Water is Life was able to drill six new wells, hand out thousands of straw and home filters, and install a water treatment plant providing over a million days of clean water to northern Haiti. The #FirstWorldProblems hashtag survived. You can still toss it into Twitter and watch it fill up with complaints about the Apple remote being too small and waiters at top restaurants asking about the food while you’re busy chewing. But for a short while, one non-profit was able to ride a popular conversation, turn it into a force for good… and remind all of us how fortunate we are. To discover more about how WaterIsLife.com is saving lives and changing the world visit WaterIsLife.com.

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How This Snapchatter Is Getting Paid Big Bucks to Work With Big Brands

When the Nasdaq wants to promote itself, you might think it would take out an advertisement in The Wall Street Journal. But recently, the exchange took a new approach. It reached out to the audience on Snapchat. In a series of short videos knitted together into stories, the Nasdaq explained an IPO, showed a new public company signing its first share certificate, and chatted with the person in charge of its corporate sustainability work (the green activities that help to reduce the effects of climate change.) It didn’t post on Snapchat directly. Instead, Nasdaq turned to Virginia Salas Kastilio, a professional Snapchatter who goes by the username Ginicanbreathe. Kastilio usually broadcasts her travels, her performance art and her positive content, but for Nasdaq she acted as the firm’s video presenter. She interviewed people she met at the exchange and explained to her audience what was happening inside its New York offices. For Nasdaq, hiring an influencer was the best solution to the problem of reaching an audience on a platform that few companies know how to use. “Market-leading businesses recognise there is a huge reach and potential within Snapchat,” says Kastilio, “but due to the closed nature of the platform, everyone is at a loss at what to do.” She says she has yet to find a company that doesn’t want to have a conversation with her about the site. That’s leaving room for influencers who have built and engaged audiences on the platform to act as corporate guides. Kastilio started her career in sales and marketing for Apple, where she quickly rose to the highest sales position the company has. She then moved to Oracle, and much of the work she does now for her clients is derived from the training she received from those brands. When companies are looking for a way to use live video and video content, she creates marketing strategies for them. And as an influencer, she pushes an audience to their accounts and creates high quality Snapchat content for them. The work flows in through the connections she has been able to build on social media; they give her referrals and introductions. And it can be pretty lucrative. Professional Snapchatters like Kastilio can typically earn around $2,800 for a single Snapchat story, and $18,000 for a three-month order of weekly stories. Companies pay those sums because the alternative is try to figure the platform out for themselves, a process that is neither quick nor simple. “To build your Snapchat you go to your already existing community and incentivize them to join your Snapchat, give them content they otherwise do not have access to on any of your other platforms or make it complementary to your existing content,” says Kastilio. “When you want to further build and extend your network, you dive into the spaces that are also in alignment with your message and market to those communities.” That complexity also opens a couple of opportunities. If businesses are paying $18,000 for three months of marketing, then they can also save $18,000 by making the effort to figure out how to use Snapchat themselves. And if digital nomads like Kastilio can make a living on live video while traveling the world and having fun, then everyone has an incentive to learn Snapchat and build their audience.

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Dear 2016…

Dear 2016, You were a year. Just another 365 days measured by the calendar and another trip around the sun. Yes, some famous people who touched many of your lives died. That sucks. But all things considered, I’d say those of us you in the free world had a pretty dang good year. Roof over your head? Check. Food in your belly? Check. Clothes on your back? Check. Friends and/or family that love you? Check. Opportunity to live your life, embrace liberty and to pursue happiness? Check. Trials and difficulties? Check. And yet, those of you who still have a pulse made it through. And you will continue to make it through… until it is no longer your time to do so. Not to minimize the things that made this year difficult for you (as you all had your challenges), but it’s all a matter of perspective. Life is a series of challenges. Some bring joy. Others bring sorrow. News Flash: That’s NOT going to change next year! The only thing that will change is how you choose to perceive it, process it and act on those challenges. The whining and histrionics are grating. Stop it, please. Those celebrities who you lost in 2016? While sad for those who were close to them, I’m guessing most of them never called or wrote you an email. You still have their memory and their work to enjoy. Their legacy lives on. But how about those close to you? Do you call them? Do you email them? Do you tell them you love them? Here’s a better idea. Make a list of all the people and things you are GRATEFUL that 2016 brought you… or allowed you to keep. Pick up the phone. Tell someone you love them. Make the world a better place for those who are still here. And please… I hope you are nicer to me than you are being to 2016. See you soon, 2017

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