Why a Low-Carb Diet is NOT for the couch potato crowd.

Dear Reader,

After following a low-carb diet for going on 21 years now, you’d think I have a few things to tell you about. Right?

Well, my time spent on this diet, has been the best thing I could have done. And now you can benefit from everything I’ve learned, without having to crush the learning curve.

The Life Event That Took Me
From “Normal” Human Being to
To Diabetic Marvel, Almost Overnight!

Now, why, you might ask, did you go on this type of diet when, even way back then, there were so many naysayers, and conformity was the rule? (I’ve hinted at it in the Sub-head above. More about that in a minute.)

I did feel a bit of an outsider, even alienated, but being a natural contrarian, I pushed ahead.

You see, every time I tried eating like everyone else, within 15 minutes, I felt horrible.

So I’d go back on the low-carb diet and feel fantastic again. Just as I had felt when I’d first adapted to it.

I should tell you right now, my ultimate goal is optimal health. And my path to that optimal health for the past 21 years has been a modified Paleo Diet. The Paleo Diet has left me looking and feeling better than I have ever in my life.

In fact, I’m in better shape now than I was in my 20’s when I used to lift heavy weights. My full body weight workouts leave me fit, and feeling great.

From Fit To Fabulous And Beyond

This is about doing for your body what it needs to be healthy, fit and sexy. Which, when you think about it, all goes together.

My average body fat percentage hangs around the 7% mark.

This is not a goal of mine, just the natural result of eating low carb, and sticking to it.

Do I feel low energy on this type of diet?

Not on your life. In fact, I seem to have endless energy for a 56 year old.

And added benefit is: I rarely feel the deep-hunger I felt as a young man. When I would over-eat and feel bloated afterwards.

The proper amount of meat and fat that I consume is the same as it takes to feel satisfied.

Unlike eating an omnivorous diet, I don’t feel stuffed when finished. But now feel full and satisfied for hours after.

As one example of what I eat most days… My breakfast.

Now, I usually eat around 6am. A breakfast of eggs and bacon keeps me feeling satisfied well past noon. Then I’ll have another meal around 1pm.

Even then, I’m not ravenous or feeling weak. Only on rare occasions will I get the, “I’ve just got to eat something” feeling.

And since I’ve been sticking to it, I never get the feeling of needing a “cheat day” or some such other escape.

That’s a confused issue anyway.

Cheating is a way of kidding yourself into believing that you’re being deprived.

As if you’re so outside the normal range of human activity, now is the time to be “like everyone else.”

In the case of a food addiction, cheating can put you back on the path of the addict. You’ll be off the wagon and back on the bumpy road to poor health again.

A friend used to say to me, “Andrew, now that you’ve had a good workout, don’t go and ruin it by eating a bunch of junk.”

And there I’ll leave you to ponder those words of wisdom.

Regards,

Andrew

Copywriter/Marketing Consultant to the awake and living.

+6 Objections That Will Always Come Up When You’re Trying To Sell…Anything.

And what you have to do to make sure you don’t fail.

Dear Reader,

If you sell anything in the marketplace, whether goods, services or information, then you must be sure you answer these 6 questions every time you send out any marketing material.

If you don’t, you’ve made it easy for your competition to eat your lunch. Every day, you go hungry.

So, what are these 6 questions and why are they so important?

Let me tell it to you this way:

  1. It costs too much. Of course it does. And if it didn’t, why would you want it?
    In reality, things cost about as much as anyone will be willing to pay for it.
    Of course there is a limit or bare minimum you should be willing to accept, but no upper limit. If you can make the case strong enough.
    You’re job is to paint such a picture that the price becomes a non-issue.
  2. Why do I need it?
    This again, is up to you to present your product or service as above all the rest. There is a virtual plethora of businesses offering just about anything you want under the sun. You better have a good answer, well thought out and stated, why the future customer you’re sending this message to needs it. If not, you’re wasting your time on this business and might be better off doing something else.
  3. Why is yours better than your competitors.
    This is where a well researched sales letter can tell that story with aplomb. The point is to put your thing, or widget, so far above your potential competitors that you become the only logical choice. If you can’t do this, then maybe it’s time to seek the help of a professional copywriter and get them to help you differentiate you from “all the others.”
  4. I want it, but not now… maybe later.
    Are you sure you’ve done the job of creating an “irresistible” offer? Has it shown a path of least resistance for the prospect? Did you send your message to a matched crowd of hungry buyers? How did you get your list? Who recommended it?
    If you aren’t taking the time to find your ideal customer, client or patient, then once again, you have flunked the first grade of marketing. Know who you’re ideal customer is before writing the first letter of that letter.
    If you don’t do this, you’re just throwing good money after bad. This will not do if you’re living on hope and good luck.
  5. Suppose something goes wrong. Can I trust your company to take care of the problem?
    I don’t know about you, but as I age, this is one of the most important points that comes into my mind every time I spend money on a mid to high-ticket item. I’m sick and tired of getting the brush off if something goes wrong.
    What have you done to make the prospect feel that everything is under control, and if something does go wrong, you will have nothing to worry about?
    In fact, this should be top of mind when you write that next ad, set up your next appointment, or take that next phone call to sell your product. Nothing else will matter if your customers don’t trust you to do what you’ve promised.
    Which brings me to number…
  6. Why should I trust or believe you at all?
    I mean, really. Why should they trust you at all?
    Have you got a long list of testimonials from someone just like them? Are you easy to find online in top reviews? Can they call the BBB and get a stellar review from them?
    When was the last time you contacted one of your customers and asked them, by phone or in person, how everything is going and whether there is something you could do better, now or in the future, to keep them as your preferred customer?

    These are things to think about, and then act on, the next time you’re planning a new marketing campaign. And it’s about time, (It’s always the right time.) if you aren’t already doing it, to create a carefully thought out sales, stick or follow up letter, to check the pulse of your customers, clients and patients.

You may be surprised what you discover when you take the time to ask.

And remember always, always, always ask these questions when developing your sales letters, or when placing a newspaper or online ad.

It is that important.

Until next time, warmest regards for your continued success,

Andrew

What’s Your “Go-To” Fitness Routine?

Dear Reader,

It’s not unusual for me to get up every morning and go for a short, quick run.

By that, I mean, I take my dog with me, (or he takes me with him, go figure, right?) and go for a walk, sniff, sprint type of run. Maybe a mile or two.

And I literally do that every day. Rain or shine. Or in the case of Las Vegas, extreme wind or shine. (We do get rain every once in a while.)

Why do I do this every day?

I’m glad you asked.

It’s because it is the perfect start to my day and gets my blood up and going. Circulation in action. Oxygen to the old brain-cells, and such.

But, you may be asking, how do you do that in the hot sun of Las Vegas? And isn’t your dog one of those English Labs with thick skin?

Ha-ha, that is my secret weapon.

Here it is…

The Real Secret of My Success
And My Dogs Willingness to Go Out In The Las Vegas Sun,
Is…
I Get Up Every Morning At…

4 A.M.!

You know, “early to bed, early to rise…”

We’re out on the road normally by 4:30 and off to the races. (Kind of… he is a 10 year old Lab now and prefers a slow trot and lots of sniffing to actual running/sprinting.)

And there you have it. The real deal.

Get up early and get started as quickly as possible and you’ll have it done before you know it.

Clear the cobwebs, blow out the fluff, and let your body do it’s thing.

I know, I know, I hear you. “Not everybody can do that! You live in Las Vegas, the land of perpetual sun and dry.”

But stick with me now, and I let you in a little secret.

We go no matter what. If it is pouring down, (rare I know, but it doesn’t stop us), if it’s the middle of winter and the wind is howling and it’s bloody freezing and dry, (cover up, or course), if it’s none of those things and the temp hasn’t dropped from the previous day.

So there you go, we don’t snow except on the rare occasion, but that still wouldn’t stop us.

It’s pure commitment and nothing else.

We don’t make excuses. We just, “Do it Baby!”

What Else Do I Do
To Stay In Such “Fabulous” Shape?

The rest of my weekly exercise routine consists of going to the gym once or twice.

At the gym, I’ve started a new gig.

Instead of the usual walk/sprint on the treadmill to warm up, I now do less treadmill and then straight to the weights.

My thing is to do 5 machine lifts for one set to exhaustion.

Something I recently learned from Dr. Doug McGuff. It’s not a new form of lifting, and I was aware of it years ago, but it is now new to me.

Here’s how it works…

The routine consists of 5 exercises. One pushing, one pulling down, one pushing up, one pulling as if rowing, and one pressing with legs.

Each exercise is started very, very slowly. In fact, you have to begin with a weight that you will only be able to move 5 to 7 times with each movement lasting approx. to a count of 8-10 seconds.

It is different for everybody who does it and depends on strength and longevity.

The beginning is at a snail’s pace and once the weight is moving, you don’t speed up or slow down until you can’t move the weight any longer.

It sounds easy, right?

Not by a long shot!!!

By the time your into your second or third rep, you’ll be breathing like an asthmatic gasping for his last breath.

The effort is like nothing I ever felt. Near the end of your effort you’ll begin to feel a sense of panic. As if you life depended on finishing this rep.

Or as if you defending your life from a Wild-bear attack. And you may just lose if you don’t do something, and soon.

According to Doug, what this does to your DNA is cause it to make adaptations for survival.

And it also builds muscle with less time but more concentrated effort.

Sound good to you?

The Ideal Workout For Those With Limited Time to Spare!

Yes, if this sounds like the thing for those of us with little time to devote to “working-out”, then you are on to something there.

This is one of the things I love about it.

I can get a weeks worth of weight training done in less than 15-minutes!

Absolute truth.

If you have any questions about this, contact me.

I love to hear from other people seeking time saving ideas and ways to make personal improvements that don’t distract you from the bigger picture of success.

Talk to you later,

Andrew

P.S. If you like this little snippet of information I’ve provided, feel free to post it to your website or blog. But please give me the nod and add a link back to my site. Thanks in advance for reading and sharing.

 

 

Everything Old Is New Again… The Simple Diet Anyone Can Remember.

Dear Reader,

Going to make this short and sweet.

I’ve made a new move in my journey to a “new’ healthy me.

It’s an old idea about eating and exercise.

Hence, the headline above, “Everything Old Is New Again.”

What, you may be asking is this new move? Is it something I can do too?

Of course, it is something anyone can do who is interested in improving, in a dramatic way, their health and the health of the ones they love.

Move a little everyday,
Eat all natural unprocessed foods,
And don’t eat anything else.

Of course, there is more to it than that. You have to be motivated to be healthy.

You have to do something. This is a plan for doers, not wishers.

You can’t dream about it and hope something happens. You can’t manifest great health.

There is action required.

The good news: it doesn’t require hours a day in the gym. It also doesn’t require starving yourself.

What it does require is limiting yourself to a select list of foods known for eons to bring health and well-being to the ones who stick to the plan.

(I’d say I can give you a list of foods to avoid, but it’s much easier to remember the foods you can eat.)

What’s that? You say you have no will power when it comes to what you eat?

Well, I did say you can’t just hope and dream, you do actually have to take action.

That action involves sticking to a list. A list of foods that has been known, since at least 1850, to help anyone shed unwanted pounds and allow their body to find it’s natural balance.

The list?

Here it is…

  1. Meat. Such as fresh beef, lamb, pork, buffalo, etc… So long as it is fresh and not overcooked, it is on the list.
  2. Fish. Any kind of fish will most likely do, but Fresh Caught Wild Salmon has been touted for years to bring more of the good Omega’s that bring good health. No factory farmed fish is allowed on this plan.
  3. Foul. Preferably wild, but if you can’t get that, then it should be organic from a known source. Don’t be afraid to ask questions when buying fresh foul. What is foul? Chicken, Duck, Pheasant, any game bird that you can eat. My preference leans to wild duck. Yours may be different. But isn’t that the beauty of choice?

Green Leafy Vegetables. You name it, if it’s green and fresh, then you can eat it. The list is pretty long: Broccoli, asparagus, Brussel sprouts, Salads of all kinds, Swiss chard, etc…
One important thing though: If you’re making salad, please don’t cover it in store bought salad dressing. These things are a nightmare of processed vegetable oils and sugar. Best to make your own dressing with Olive Oil and Vinegar. Maybe throw in some Maille mustard to spice it up.

There you have it. The whole list.

If you don’t see something on that list, then it is not allowed.

Of course, you can use spices and other thins such as garlic and onions as you wish. And I’m sure there are some other things you could add.

But here is the most important thing: Never ruin your meals with sauces made with sugar, syrup of any kind, vegetable oils, breading, etc… which would negate any benefits derived from eating this way.

I’ve been eating this “Paleo” way going on 20 years. It seems to have gone mainstream these days.

And being a Type 1 Diabetic, it works perfect with my insulin and exercise regime.

So, any questions, send them to me via the contact form and I’ll answer all and any question you send me having to do with diet and exercise for optimal health.

Oh yes! I almost forgot the exercise part.

So what do I do for exercise?

I go to the gym maybe one day a week, sometimes two if my wife or daughter need me with them.

I do 15 minutes of heavy work in the area of 5 different exercises.

And I do them all very slow. (I always warm up with slow jogging/walking first. Max. 10 minutes.)

Tomorrow I’ll give you a complete run down of my fitness plan and strategy.

It’s much easier than you think and doesn’t leave you exhausted. Well, not for long anyway.

Keep it simple, eat right and you will have the body you’ve always dreamed of.

You’ll be surprised how easy it is and how soon you’ll see results, too!

More on the routine later.

Regards,

Andrew

P.S. If I haven’t already told you, I’m known to all my friends as the “healthy Type 1 Diabetic who actually takes care of himself.” Not to toot my own horn, but I believe there is a lot I can teach to other type 1’s about staying creating optimal health for themselves.

And if I can teach it to a bunch of Type 1 diabetics, with all their special needs and routines, your situation will be a piece of cake. Easier than doing push-aways at the dinner table.

Til next time.

Andrew

 

 

A Few Words On The Type 1 Diabetes Scene Online…

Dear Reader,

As you may or may not know, I am a Type 1 Diabetic.

That means I inject insulin every day just to stay alive.

I’ve been living with this for nearly 20 years and have, up to this point, done quite well. When I consider how many blogs there are now, written by Type 1 Diabetics, and all the trouble they are having, I see that I have taken a good road with my diabetes management.

Of course, there is one group on Facebook who are just like me, but we seem to be in the minority. Type1GRit. (Go check them out if you find your interested to know more.)

Most of these blogs are filled with writing about the individuals daily life and the ups-and-downs they put themselves through by not taking control of their diet and insulin plan.

I know of only one Doctor in the “land of diabetes” who has written a book on managing Type 1 Diabetes. He claims diabetics have a “right” to normal blood sugars. By this I think he means normalizing your blood sugars is something everyone is encouraged to do. He is my personal hero and I’ve followed him since 1997 when I read his book Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution.

His name is Dr. Richard K. Bernstein.

If the diabetics with blogs haven’t heard of him, then I feel sorry for them. But if they have, and haven’t taken action… then they have no one to blame but themselves.

It takes effort to stay healthy. And when you have to measure out every dose of insulin to cover every morsel of food you put in your mouth, it becomes magnitudes harder.

You see, every time a type 1 diabetic eats something, whether it be protein, carbohydrate or even fat, they need to balance it with a dose of insulin. Just like a person who isn’t Type 1 Diabetic naturally produces their own insulin.

Yes, you have to live a well regulated life and stick to it every day for the rest of your life.

Yes, it is difficult to do. But not impossible.

But after some time, it becomes routine.

And no, you can’t eat whatever you want. This is the hard reality.

Your friends and acquaintances, although well meaning, will tempt you and say “well, how about just this once?”

The problem is, “just once” can turn into twice and then three times, and the roller-coaster of ups-and-downs starts all over. You’ll be forced to give in or stick to your guns. It’s you life. It’s your choice. Whatever the outcome, you are responsible for your choices.

Only you can decide what your Blood Sugar Levels will be.
And only you can make the right, or wrong, choice of treatment.

It’s all about the choices you make in what you eat. Are your choices limited? Yes they are.

Gone are the days of eating pizza, pasta, cookies, bread of any kind, potatoes and all forms of sugar. Drinking soda is right out. I don’t even drink “diet” soda anymore. I sampled a taste of regular coke recently, and found it putrid.

You as a Type 1 Diabetic are now on a permanent Low Carb diet, if you want to stay healthy and free of complications.

Just to clue you in on how most of the Type 1 Diabetics with blogs think, let me tell you about a few.

For example, one writer states that living with Type 1 Diabetes is just one up-or-down after another without ever addressing what he eats every day. Or how much. He talks about how sometimes he gets it “just right,” but most of the time he is all over the place with his blood sugar control.

Well, If he was serious about staying healthy and taking care of his family, of which he has two young children, he would do something about maintaining level blood sugars in a normal range and eat in a way to make this possible.

And here is where I see all the issues with these sites I’ve recently discovered: Not one of them advocates a strict diet. Not one talks about exactly what they eat.

And now I find diabetes education and institutional sites that advocate for eating normal as every one else does.

Wha-wha-what!!!?

In fact, just to illustrate my point: I just perused the ADA site and found they still advocate an A1C of 7% for diabetics. That equals a average blood sugar of 154.

Now you may not know this, but complications arising from chronic high blood sugars begin to show at an average blood glucose reading as low as 90. So why would the ADA recommend something so high?

Could it be because, although they put on a face of caring, there are just too many political pressures in place to stop anyone in authority from admitting such a high A1C is preventable.

Such as, maybe a person with Type 1 diabetes could adopt the eating plan advocated by Dr. Bernstein, get his A1C down below 5, and live a long happy and healthy life.

But, you say, “that is so much work.” It’s that or a life of confusion and depression. And sickness and hospital trips and… as you’ll find so many Type 1’s posting on their personal blogs.

It’s so depressing to me I’ll stay with my low carb eating and minimal insulin plan. I’m fit and healthy and in a good mood almost every day. All because of the way I eat and try to maintain a normal blood sugar level. Last A1C of 5.2 and dropping with almost no lows.

It’s not easy but it can be done.

More on this later.

Regards,

Andrew

P.S. If you are a Type 1 Diabetic, or know someone who is, please pass on the link to Dr. Bernstein’s book. You’ll know if they already have it when they respond. If they don’t, you’re doing them a huge favor. If they know about him and don’t go with the program, well, at least you tried. No harm, no foul.

 

When the best laid plans go terribly wrong.

Dear Reader,

Just when I thought I was getting what I paid for, things went completely the wrong way.

Something to remember when ordering services: Make sure the person you are ordering from is very clear about what it is exactly, that you want. I seem to have not been communicating very well today.

And, I didn’t get anything like what I wanted.

And who’s fault is that anyway?

That’s right. Mine. I messed up by not being clear and communicating with someone who didn’t understand that all I wanted was some advice and that’s all.

Instead, I got a service that only made things more difficult for me and will now bring me even more work I didn’t have time for.

Woh is me and poor choices are not to be taken lightly.

Enough complaining. Back to work.

Regards,

 

Andrew

Why a great back-up plan is always your best bet.

Dear Reader,

If you’ve ever had a bad nights sleep, then what you’re about to read should be very familiar to you.

Of course, no two ‘bad sleep’ experiences are exactly the same. But if you’ve had a restless night, what I’m about to share with you could save your life.

Here’s what happened…

First of all, I have to tell you: I’m a Type 1 diabetic. That means I have to inject insulin every day, all day, to stay alive for more than a few days. (My regimen is something to tell. That’s for later.)

So last night, I had been to the gym for a good 1 hour workout with weights and the stationary bike for warm-up.

Once back home, I took a shower and began to prepare dinner for my daughter and I. (We shared a rare steak, (Rib Eye) and some green beans.) Not a thrilling dinner, but healthy.

Things were going great. Dinner was yummy and I was feeling fantastic as I always do after a workout.

The food settled just fine and by 9 I was in bed reading to prepare for a good nights sleep.

By 9:30 I was fast asleep.

I awoke at 11:15 in a state of confusion and despair.

Stumbling out of bed I made my way to the bathroom where my Glucose Meter was resting.

Upon checking my glucose level I discovered the problem: Blood glucose of 35!

Not good.

Luckily I keep glucose tablets close by at all times.

I immediately chewed up 5, 4gram tablets and staggered back to bed. Within 15 minutes I was fast asleep again.

The time it took for all this to happen was on the measure of 17-18 minutes. But it seemed like an eternity.

How age has changed my reaction to these “bad” events.

The way I feel when my blood glucose is low like this is different now I’m older.

When I was first diagnosed, at the tender age of 33, the lows would put me in a cold sweat and I would shake as if I had just come out of a freezing-cold lake completely nude. You know, no clothes.

Now, after 18 years of living with diabetes, my lows are accompanied with confusion, depression and an overall feeling of dread. It’s a horrible feeling. Something I would wish on no one. Although, it sounds like someone’s description of getting off prescription anti-depressants.

Not fun at all.

So, following that, my night was filled with interruptions. I woke up every 2 hours after and checked my numbers to be sure. I’ve not slept that bad in a long time.

Now it’s morning and I’ll spend most of the day getting my head right. And rethinking my game plan about where I went wrong.

But you know what? This will most likely happen again. Even with the best of plans sometimes things just don’t go as planned.

It’s the same with marketing and copywriting.

Sometimes things just don’t go as planned and you need to have a back up plan.

My back-up plan for my condition of diabetes is to keep glucose tablets always at hand. And my plan for copywriting and marketing is to always test and check my premises.

What kind of a plan do you have?

If you need another opinion, or want something new and dynamic for your product or service, contact me for a FREE 30-minute consultation.

I look forward to talking with you soon.

Regards,

Andrew

Warning: What you are about to read will make you rethink your marketing!

Or, at least it should!
(It has to do with your marketing. Obviously.)

What I’m about to tell you may make you hate me.
But that’s OK. I’m getting used to it.
(You might even un-friend me. Ouch!)

You see, what I do is go into small to medium size businesses and straighten things out. I don’t do it to be rude, it’s just that I don’t like seeing good businesses doing bad marketing.

Marketing that is wasteful, misdirected and un-planned.

If you have this problem, and can’t see it, then what you’re about to read will be the best thing you’ve read all year. Maybe in your life.

Here’s the thing: you’re competition could be doing the same thing as you.

Advertising like everybody else because, gee, that’s just the way we all do it. “People aren’t very smart and they don’t care what we say, just if we have the lowest price.”

Wrong! Dead wrong!

What you doing is “me too” marketing. It doesn’t set you apart from anyone so you look plain and average. Just like everybody else.

You may even be thinking that it doesn’t matter what you do, because you’ve tried everything already. I mean, the advertising department at the local paper and TV Station couldn’t have lead you wrong, could they?

If you haven’t designed and implemented your own “outrageous” ads and made sure the delivery was the way you wanted it, you just might be an “advertising victim!”

As Dan Kennedy, the world famous marketing master has said many times over his 40 years of experience,“Nobody wants to hang around with an Advertising Victim.”

OK, he may not have said that, but he did, I think, come up with the term “Advertising Victim.”

If he didn’t, then he got it from somebody smart and I got it from him. So there.

But anyway, what I’m trying to get through your head is, you can’t let others’ steam roll you into marketing like everyone else. You’ve got to find a way to set yourself apart from all the other “look at me” and “me tooer’s” out there. If everyone is singing the same song, then they will all get the same bad results. And life will be much more boring for you and your customers. If you have any once the marketing has died a long slow death.

So, what does this all have to do with you and me and some kick-ass marketing?

I’ll tell you right now.

My name is Andrew Jensen.

I live in the great state of Nevada in the once fastest growing city in America: Henderson, NV.

What I am is a copywriter/marketing consultant for small to medium size businesses.

I write for any kind of business because great marketing works for all businesses when it is designed and implemented to your target market.

You see, the message you send to your current and future customers doesn’t matter if it doesn’t actually get to them.

So, you can have the best ad ever created, but if doesnt’ make it to it’s intended market, you won’t get the results you want.

It has to get to it’s intended audience and you have to know who you’re market is before you can get it to them.

How Targeted Direct Response Marketing Works for Every Business and Why You Need To Use It in Your Business For Maximum Returns With Minimum Waste.

I used to be a musician. Some would say, “once a musician, always a musician.” But really, that’s not what I’m trying to tell you right now. The point is…

I’ve traveled the world and experienced many different and wonderful things. Most in life will never get the opportunity to do the same thing.

But, in all this travel, (stick with me here…) I didn’t really understand what made business work.

For instance: Once when I was in Tunisia on a cruise ship, I was fortunate enough to be able to go to the souk (the huge covered market in the middle of Tunis, the major port city). While there I had a “real” salesman go to work on me. He wanted to sell me a leather vest. Rock star style.

His way of selling was completely and effortlessly complimentary. I was interested. But the price he was asking was high for me. Way to high.

When I told him I didn’t have enough money for what he was asking, a friend offered to lend me the extra cash.

Why you need to make sure your customers and clients are focused on you
and only you.

This was all the guy needed to hear. He dove in head first and latched on to my friend for the rest of the money. I was, of course, pissed my “friend” opened her mouth at all. I was dealing and she interrupted.

I refused the offer of a loan and instead kept low balling him. Who knew where the vest came from or what kind of leather it was made. There was no name (obviously custom make) in it and I knew I would never be able to bring it back if it turned out to be crap.

In the end, we came to a good deal. I paid $60 for it in 1994 dollars… and still have it to this day. It turned out to be a good buy. Not a “Good Bye.”

The point of this whole story is, the guy was an aggressive and some would say, great sales man. I was just passing buy and he picked me out of the crowd and invited me in to his stall in a way that had me entering without any hesitation. I was totally taken in without knowing it yet.

He was talkative and focused. It took me a minute to come to my senses.

Of course, I am 6’ tall and at the time had long blonde hair. This combination of a Caucasian guy with long blonde hair in the middle of Tunis is a dead giveaway. Easy and obvious target… right?

As a business owner, you need to find those customers who are just as obvious but hidden. It’s all a matter of knowing where to look.

If you’re not looking through lists of names, with people that you have taken the time to single out as your ideal customer, and marketed directly to them with a message to match, then your throwing good money after bad.

That’s no way to run a successful business.

Your business is important. To you and to your customers/clients.

It deserves the attention to detail that great, results based marketing can give it.

Marketing directly to your customers, with personalized and targeted marketing, could open up a whole new and better way of growing your business.

You may find it will change how your customers see you and what they think. All to the positive.

On the other hand, if you’re already doing direct response marketing and it isn’t getting the results you hoped for, it may only need a fresh set of eyes to take a look.

I offer just that.

Why not send me a message through my contact form on this page. Tell me a bit about your business and what you are looking for with your marketing. There is no obligation, of course, and certainly no pressure.

We can schedule a FREE 30-minute phone consultation and take a look at what can be done. Together we just may discover a perfect solution for your marketing.

Regards,

Andrew

How Do You Measure The Success Or Lack Of In Your Marketing?

Dear Reader,

If your marketing is not doing what you had hoped it would, then what you are about to read will turn on your proverbial Light-Bulb!

You see, it’s not about image or flash or how many likes or dislikes you get. It’s about how many orders or inquiries you get and whether the inquiries, or leads, end up as sales. Full stop.

There is no other measure of your marketing than the MEASURABLE RESULTS!

If you can’t measure the results, how do you know what your marketing is achieving?

How do you know if what you are doing is working?

How do you know if the guy writing your copy, the media your advertising in and the market your marketing to is right?

Bottom line: You don’t.

How being able to measure your results makes all the difference in profitability versus failure.

Let me ask you a question: What engineering profession doesn’t measure their designs and test for success and reliability?

That’s right, I can’t think of one either.

And if you don’t know this, a well run marketing campaign is a well designed feat of engineering. It is measurable and repeatable. It shows you, down to the most minute detail, what has worked and what hasn’t.

If your playing guessing games with it, it will come back and bite you on the ass. Just like a snake in the tall grass of the marketplace. You won’t see it coming and it doesn’t care if you do because the market is unforgiving.

It’s unforgiving of foolish money and foolish beliefs.

If you don’t know who your marketing to and your sending out ads on a whim…. your profits will be unpredictable if at all.

There’s a better way and it’s called direct response marketing.

By utilizing direct response methods, which have been developed and refined over the last 100 or so years, you are drawing on a century of experience. Experience that has shown itself to be successful over and over and to make it’s more well practiced users very wealthy when done right.

Your business, no matter what it is, can profit from direct response.

Direct response is the most cost efficient, trackable and measurable. Bar none.

If you used it and haven’t gotten the results you desire, then either your desires where out of line or you were not ruthless enough in it’s implementation.

It’s not rocket science, but it does have a measure of “scientific” to it. As Claude Hopkins called it nearly a hundred years ago, “Scientific Advertising”.

He didn’t call it that on a whim. Unlike most marketing I see almost every day.

Your next campaign can have all the advantages and none of the dis-advantages of scientific advertising when you take the next step to contact me to discuss your next marketing plan.

You’ll find that I don’t pull punches when pointing what needs to be done. And done now with your ads and the proper planning to implement them.

It is, after all, not a mystery. Great results marketing can be used by any business with any product or service.

No one can make the claim that “this doesn’t work with my business. We’re different.”

Yes, you may be different, but your customers aren’t. Not when it comes to getting the message you want to convey delivered to them. And human nature hasn’t changed in the last 10,000 years and most likely wont’ be changing any time soon.

So, what are you waiting for?

Send me and email by clicking on the contact link at the top of the page so we can set up a time to discuss your marketing and it’s message. Usually an initial 30 minute session can give me a good idea of what we’re dealing with and what I can do for you.

Better yet, click on this link.

I’ll be talking to you soon.

Regards,

Andrew

How “Real” Are You About Your Business?

Dear Reader,

The Book of EST.

If you haven’t read this book, I recommend you get it and read it today.

Why?

Because if you own a business, and it’s not what you want it to be, then you most likely need to deal with that reality now. And how you experience reality will make or break your business.

Let me explain.

The book of EST is a recreation of the experience of a “self help” seminar that was offered in the “70’s and beyond”. It was created by a man named Werner Erhard.

The seminars were called EST. (Erhard Seminar Training.)

I’m not finished reading the book so what I’m telling you is just a glimpse of what I’ve experienced so far. And since I haven’t finished the book yet, this letter I’m writing will be followed up with more of my insights when I’m done. 

To say I’m beginning to see things “differently” would be an understatement. This is akin to the philosophical lessons I inadvertently absorbed from an old friend and “cosmic” saxophone player back in the 80’s. 

I was a musician at the time.

We would stay up after a gig and talk well into the early hours of the morning about the universe and its cause and effect nature. I didn’t realize it at the time but that was my “real education.” 

Anyway… 

Shock Therapy for the Reality Challenged

How the seminars were conducted, according to the book: Seminar attendees were gathered in a room, such as a banquet room or convention center meeting room at a hotel. Before coming to the seminar, they all had to sign a “contract” explaining what the rules were and agree to abide by those rules.

When the seminar began, they were all reminded by a “trainer” who stood at the front of the room what the rules were and what they had agreed to. Also that they were expected to abide by those rules.

If they had any qualms about following the rules, they were instructed to get up, get their things and leave the room. No one was stopping them from leaving.

If they decided to stay, they had to follow the rules.

The rules were clearly restated to the attendees at the beginning in minute detail so that everything would be clear and no one could claim ignorance of the process. The reminder could go on for more than an hour leaving many to wonder why they had to hear again what they already agreed to.

One of the rules was that each attendee had agreed to stay in the room as long as the trainer required. There would be no bathroom breaks until the trainer allowed them. Also, no watches were allowed.

Of course, at the time, the mobile phone had not yet been invented. Nor the “smart” phone. 

Oh the horror!

But as it turns out, many didn’t really fully understand what they had agreed to. The rules were not to be taken lightly. They were to be followed to the tee. No one got away with breaking them.

If you were found to have broken one of the rules, you were commanded, by reason of the rules, in the trainers loud and commanding voice, to straighten out the error of your ways immediately. No questions were allowed.

Get ‘er done! Now!

You may think this sounds like a real mind F*&k. But in reality, it was a way for people to rid themselves of their illusions about who they were and the fact that their belief systems obviously didn’t work. Because if they did, they wouldn’t have been there.

Very Matrix like stuff, right?

As the attendees were reminded over and over, your beliefs are just that, your beliefs. Most have no basis in reality at all.

If you haven’t experienced what you believe in, then it is not real. Only experience is real. 

Why is this Important?

Now, no two people will experience the same thing in the same way. We are all of us, in the end, individuals with different beliefs, feelings and desires. Some of these will cross paths, but all in all, we all stand alone in the end.

So what does all this have to do with your business?

I’ll tell you.

Having a belief about your business that just isn’t true will kill your profitability.

If you aren’t aware of who your customers are and why they do business with you, you are only a short distance from the unemployment line.

So, what about you? Do you see your business as it is, or only as you believe it to be?

I can offer a fresh set of eyes to any business. Also, through my consulting and copywriting service, you will receive only well researched and planned out ways to make a big turn around in how many customers you get as well as keep.

Because, after all, if you can’t keep them coming back, you’re in for a lot of extra work getting new ones in the door.

It’s well know in the marketing biz that it’s easier to keep a customer than to get a new one. Turning and churning is for the amateur.

Get in touch with me through my contact link on the right side of the page.

We can set up a time for a Free 30-minute consultation. During this time I’ll ask you some focused and pertinent questions to find out if what I can do for you.

If you don’t hear from me right away, don’t worry. I’m rarely available at a moments notice.

But I can tell you one thing that is important to you: I’m not a big name in the business, but big names and longevity is no guarantee of success. The only thing that really matters is if what I offer works. And gets results.

Tell me what you think.

Regards,

Andrew

P.S. Next week I’ll be returning to The Book of EST and my take on it’s further lessons. Stay tuned.