Stop Posing!

Good afternoon, friends, and I hope you are all well and rested after your weekend. On Saturday we celebrated my daughter's 13th birthday, and took a bunch of her friends on a scavenger hunt at the mall, a shopping spree at Aeropostle, a visit down Memory Lane with a ride on the carousel, back to the house for cake - ice cream - and gifts, and then midnight bowling and pizza followed by a sleepover. Some of the girls didn't leave until Sunday night! We're exhausted!

Have you been making some time to get a little more introspective and think about some of the challenges I have been laying down these past few weeks? Last time we spoke about gaining some understanding about your strengths and weaknesses and developing a plan to either delegate or outsource those tasks which don't play to your strengths or work on developing skills in those areas of weakness.

Today I want you to consider whether or not you are a "poser".

A poser pretends to be something he or she is not in order to gain acceptance or respect from others. As children, we don't know a lot about posing and we're just naturally ourselves -- innocent. Then as we get older, and we begin to understand the type of behavior that our parents expect from us, we begin to learn about posing. Or perhaps we don't receive the attention we want, so we adopt new behaviors to get the attention we truly seek.

OK, I always try to be totally transparent with you, so let me give you some personal examples ...

As a child, I learned early on that to become the center of attention I needed to pose as an entertainer, whether that be singing, telling jokes or doing magic tricks. When I posed, I pretended to be a different person, and this continued well into high school. Being small for my size, the only way I could get attention for myself was to entertain. I was quickly dubbed the "little magician". Not exactly a great moniker but it achieved the purpose.

But I wasn't being myself, and it took an enormous amount of effort to pull off performance after performance. Deep inside I am probably more of an introvert than extrovert, but when I pose as an entertainer I become much larger than life. Two different people. Most people think the poser is really me and enjoy being around that entertainer, but it ain't me. Not really.

We all get stuck in these posing roles at various times in our lives. Young people good at sports may pose as jocks and adopt a BMOC (big man on campus) persona. It may become part of their survival tools in a new school or to make new friends.

People often pose based upon their religious beliefs. I hear more and more about how so-and-so is being a "good Christian". People adopt these poses to please others and become accepted in larger social situations such as a church. The truth is they may not be any better than the person standing to their left or right, but if they strike the pose right, no one ever questions them. It's funny, but growing up a Jew in NYC, I never heard anyone called a "good Jew". Strange the way that works.

In business, we frequently strike poses just to survive the corporate rat race. Back in 1993, when I was invited by WilTel to relocate from NYC to Tulsa, it was because the perception was I was type-A, rough and tumble, take no prisoners, get it done at all costs, executive. I learned quickly that senior officers liked this, so I adopted this as my persona and posed the way they wanted me to pose. It enabled me rapid growth in my career and to accrue tremendous wealth. It did not, however, make me happy, or portray me accurately. My close friends knew me better than that.

Obviously, posing can have some short-term gain -- social acceptance, monetary gain, popularity, etc. Long-term, however, it can cause tremendous damage. We get miscast in roles that do not accurately or truthfully reflect who we are. Posing blocks us from making new friendships, changing careers, etc. because it causes people to see us inaccurately.

So here's the question of the day, how and where are you posing in your life today? What is posing truly achieving for you? How are people's perceptions of you actually doing you more harm than good? What changes might you expect if you let people see the real you? Will you lose or gain their respect? Will your career or business take a wrong turn?

What would happen if we all started acting like the people we truly are? Hmm. Imagine a world where everyone was honest and you could truly judge someone by their words and actions.

Will you ultimately be happier being yourself than you would if you continued posing?

I know. It's a tough question, and I warn you, once you make the decision to stop posing, you need to be vigilant about it because it is oh so easy to fall back into the bad habit of posing. I know. I face that problem on a daily basis whether I am sitting across from a client or speaking to my wife and children. While the "little magician" inside of me might be very entertaining, I am much more than that and I want people to know that. Hopefully you do.

If you've been a long-term subscriber, then you have seen me make a concerted effort to change the direction of my newsletter. When I started it 10 years ago, it was focused on selling the latest Internet widget or ebook or software I developed. But about 2 years ago, I made a conscious effort to be 80% focused on building a relationship with my subscribers and 20% on making money. Thus far, I'd say this has been a step in the right direction for me, but it an act of faith.

Right now I have 1300 friends -- subscribers -- and some of you have introduced me to your friends by forwarding my newsletter to them -- and some of you have become pen-pals -- and others have become clients. Whichever it is, I am grateful to have you join me on this walk.

Stop posing.

Be yourself.

Until next time,


Steven

P.S.: Please help me to reach more people by sending the URL to this newsletter to your friends. Help me to help more people.

Don't Become Invisible

Steve Schneiderman here. Hope all is well on your side of the
screen. Things have gotten unexpectedly busy this time of year.
Usually during tough economic times, companies tend to reel in
their budgets in an attempt to save some money for next year's
expenditures including taxes. Oddly I am seeing a reversal in
this trend. I am thinking it is because people have been
postponing investments in their business -- like marketing --
until they weathered the 2009 storm. If they are still alive, and
many are not, then they can most likely afford to start some
projects now.

Traditionally, closed-minded companies will reel in the funds on
all marketing and training and events. This is, however, the
wrong thing to do. If 99% of your competitors are reeling in the
dollars, they are essentially removing themselves from the
consumer spotlight. This means a huge opportunity for the wise
company who actually invests in marketing and training and events
because they will have less visible competition. I don't know
about your specific job/company, but it is something you need to
consider. When times are bad, invest in marketing to capture the
spotlight. Don't become invisible for a protracted period of time.

Last time I wrote to you, I asked you to spend some time,
in preparation for the new year, to consider your strengths and
weaknesses. Have you done this exercise yet? If not, do so now.
It's that important. Many of the people who I meet have a very
poor sense of self. They are not introspective nor do they
challenge themselves. They tend to define themselves in very
simple terms (I am an accountant, a lawyer, fill in the blank)
and merely plod along, year to year, without making any real
strides in their career or personal growth.

I know this process can seem daunting, but the easiest way to
start is to simply pick three things you do well and three things
you need work on. Also list three things you like about what you do
and three things you hate. Then beneath each of these mini lists,
list the steps you need to take to improve and be happier. This
is not rocket science. In some areas it may be simply a question
of reading some books or taking a course or getting some coaching
or mentoring. In other areas it may be delegating or outsourcing
those tasks to another. The key thing here is to TAKE ACTION!

Many people write to me about creating mini sites for their
digital products. If you have a body of knowledge -- subject
matter expertise -- unusual experience -- you should be
considering how to monetize this knowledge and how to position
yourself as a SME -- subject matter expert. Writing an ebook,
creating a series of audio files or producing a more elaborate
video series are all fine ways to accomplish this. Doing this
will generate passive revenue and help you to gain visibility.

I always suggest using this combination of tasks to accomplish
this:

1. Define your subject matter expertise.
2. Produce your digital product(s).
3. Craft a compelling sales letter.
4. Create a squeeze page to capture first name and email address for
future marketing efforts.
5. Create a mini site focused on the features, advantages and
benefits of your product(s).
6. Integrate an autoresponder like GetResponse.
7. Write a series of 10 moor re emails to send subscribers back to
your site.
8. Write a press release and distribute it.
9. Promote through blogs and social networking and article
marketing.
10. Measure results and tweak.

Oddly enough, task #4 -- create a squeeze page -- is frequently
omitted from most people's game plan. They prefer to send people
directly to their mini site's sales letter. But consider this:
what do you when people arrive at your sales page and do not buy
from you. Without capturing their basic contact info via a
squeeze page, you have no way of marketing to them and getting
them to return to make the sale. Thus a squeeze page is critical
and if you are not using one, then you are missing the boat.

Here's a new product from my friend, Max Rylski, that makes
crafting and implementing a squeeze page quick and easy:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/supersqueezepagepack/

Go check it out. For $27.00 it will easily save you hours and
help put you on the right road to email marketing.

Until next time,

Steven

P.S.: Give your friends a cost-free subscription to my
newsletter as a Christmas gift. Click the link below to forward
this newsletter to them. They will thank you for it!

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Understanding Your Strengths & Weaknesses

Good morning and for those of you in the States, I hope your
Thanksgiving holiday was relaxing and fun. I tend to get
especially introspective this time of year, and I want to
encourage you to do the same. Not everyone does a good job of
this, but it's an important part of your growth -- mentally,
emotionally, spiritually and even financially.

Today I want you to think about the things you try to do which
are not core strengths or talents. Things you have no practical
experience doing, that are a BIG stretch, and frankly a waste of
your time. Let me give you some examples.

I have no business opening the hood of a car.

When my car stops working properly, I can open the hood and
stare for hours. But I don't dare touch a thing because I am
clueless. I remember Jerry Seinfeld's old joke about seeing
people stuck on the side of the road, with their hoods open,
half-expecting to find a giant on-off switch set to OFF. That's
me. I lack the tools, the experience, and talent to fix my own
car. I am beholden to my mechanic. I don't understand what he is
talking about, but I trust him to do the job that I can not.

I should not be allowed near an iron.

No matter how hard I try, I can't get wrinkles completely out of
my shirt. I move wrinkles from one side of the shirt to the
other. I burn my cotton shirts. I melt my synthetics. I create
water spots with steam and stain things up with too much starch.
Try as I can, even with instructions from more experienced
friends, I just can't get'er done. I am a lost cause.

Likewise in business, I realize I am not a coder. I can write
and read code in a variety of computer languages -- all
self-taught -- but at the end of the day, I am not the guy you
want to pay to develop code. I may be able to fake my way through
it, but the result will not be pretty. That's why I pay an expert
to write all my software and web code. He went to school for this
and I didn't. This is what he does for a living. It's where his
gifts and talents lie. It's what he was born to do.

What were you born to do?

What are you wasting time trying to fake your way through?

For instance, some of us were not born to sell. This is one of
my strengths. I remember when a VP of Sales challenged me to sell
him a pencil. I told him there's a number 2 on it for a reason. A
pencil has a limited life span. It smudges and makes a mess. You
always have to sharpen it. There's no easy way to carry it in
your pocket without leaving marks or making holes. A pen is
ultimately the number one writing instrument. Then I took out my
Mont Blanc pen and demonstrated the quality of the fine writing
instrument. I sold him the pen.

Clint Eastwood once said, "A man's got to know his limitations."
I agree, but a man (or woman) also needs to know their strengths.
They must also seek balance in their lives, focusing on what they
do best and delegating what they do poorly to others. It's a
question of maximizing time and talent.

I'm not suggesting you don't try to acquire news skills and
challenge yourself to learn how to do new things. Not at all.
What I am saying is that I observe many, many people struggling
to launch a business online when they have no earthly clue what
they are doing.

I also understand the financial challenge of hiring others to do
those things you are weak in. However, it has been my experience
that those who claim they can't afford to pay a more qualified
person to do these tasks frequently wind up spending even more money
by having to hire someone in the eleventh hour to fix their
mistakes. There have been several times this year where people
asked for a quote to assist them in some online marketing
capacity, and then decided I was too expensive, so they tried to
do it themselves. Then after they magnified the problem and made
things worse, they tucked their tail between their legs and
quietly asked for my help again. And it frequently costs more to
fix a mess than to do it right the first time with outside help.
So finding and hiring the right talent to help you is actually a
form of cost aversion. Getting the job done right the first time
actually saves you money.

Here's another example. When I bought my first house, I bought a
lawn mower and grass trimmer. I mowed my lawn as a kid and didn't
think twice about doing it now for my first house. I soon learned
that I lacked the eye to mow my lawn and trim my grass. My
neighbors used to line up across the street, pull out their lawn
chairs and beers, and point and laugh at me as I tried in vein to
manage my lawn and edge my grass.

I wound up giving my new mower and trimmer to a young handy man
we knew, and I asked him to work it off by mowing my lawn for me
for a year. He jumped at the chance and he was very good at it.
Likewise, when I moved to my second larger house, I had learned
my lesson and hired a lawn maintenance company during the first
week. It was worth it to pay someone else to do the job because
they could do it better than I could. And it freed me up to focus
on other things I could do better.

It's the same for cleaning my house. I can burn through 8 hours
of my time cleaning my own house, or I can pay someone else to do it
for me so I can spend time billing for my time at $150.00/hour. I
can pay for the house cleaning by billing just one hour. I'd much
rather maximize my time and revenue than take the 8 hours to
clean the house myself.

So what are your three greatest strengths that you need to focus
on and exploit in 2010?

Likewise, what are your three weakest points that you have been
trying to do on your own, and now need to turn over to someone
else in 2010?

Remember, if you are not satisfied with the results you have
been receiving all these years, it's not going to change unless
you take a fair and honest assessment of your own abilities and
change the way you do things by delegating some tasks to others.

Exploit your strengths.

But know your limitations.

Let me know how I can help you.

Until next time,


Steven

P.S. Clicking the link below will allow you to share this with a
friend:

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The Art of Disclosure

The turkey has officially begun to defrost in the frig, most of
the fixings are in various states of preparation, and we're just
waiting for friends to arrive with the sweet potatoes, rolls,
pies and cookies! I love Thanksgiving.

There's a lot being sold and published online over the past few
weeks about recent changes in FTC regulations regarding truth in
advertising. The center of the argument is on how transparent you
are with your efforts to make money through affiliate links and
testimonials. The FTC wants all of us to play nicely and clearly
inform our web site visitors when we are being compensated as an
affiliate, have reviewed a product we received for free, or
solicited or paid for a testimonial.

Obviously, this is a good thing. It's just a shame that it's
come down to this. I have split feelings on this one. If I run a
product review site, it should be implicit that I receive a lot
of free products and services. Heck, that was my goal when I
started CoolToolAwards.com 10 years ago. The fact that I am also
an affiliate of some of the products and services I review should
also be somewhat obvious by the nature of the URL. Of course,
ever now and then a lemon of a product comes out, and people
return to my review site seeking technical support. Those are the
awkward situations where I must try to help them and make sure the
commission is reversed and the buyer gets a refund. I do that
because it's the right thing to do. Unfortunately, there are many
who don't do the right thing, and that's what has driven the FTC
to take arms against us.

So you need to protect yourself. I am revisiting my sites and
adding simple language to indicate some of the products or
services I recommend may be paid reviews or I received free
products or services. I also make it clear that some of my
reviews use affiliate links and that I will receive a nominal
commission if they buy that product or service through my link.
You should do the same.

According to an interview I listened to this morning between Jim
Edwards and a high-ranking representative at the FTC, we should
be providing language on our sites that clearly discloses the
nature of our relationship with the companies whose products we
promote or recommend. Such language must be "clear and
conspicuous" near the affiliate link. The language is easy --
it's how to do this near the links that becomes intrusive.

Some online marketers are fearful of repercussions of following
this recommended procedure. They fear it will hurt sales. Hmmm.
Truth in advertising affect sales negatively? Interesting concept
but possible.

The FTC also wants to make sure there is adequate disclosure
between site content and advertising. If what you say and how you
present it could impact a product sale or a service's
credibility and influence a visitor to make a purchase, than you
need to err on the safe side and disclose as much as you can.

If you review and recommend products and services on your sites
as I do, the FTC wants to know if a visitor's purchase results in
your financial gain. If so, you need to disclose this.

Is there even a possibility of a potential bias of your
recommendation as an affiliate? If so, you need to disclose this.

Above all, transparency is critical.

Now there's two other areas not covered by this FTC call that is
important for you to consider:

1. Fat claims. If you can not substantiate something, it is a fat
claim. Example: Buy this ebook and make millions just like
thousands of others. Big old fat claim. The type of fat claim
that could bite you in the butt and cost six figures and maybe
worse.

2. Fake Testimonials. Are you asking friends to write kind words
about your products or services without them actually paying for
it or using it? If so, then this one could also land you in front
of the FTC or in court or in jail.

Now I know my subscribers operate above the line and are
law-abiding but these latter two infractions happen all the time.
Just last week I was reviewing a subscriber site and had to call
their attention to a very blatant fat claim that could get them
in trouble. Bottom line: if you can't prove something, then don't
say it. It's really that simple.

But what about the standard disclaimers such as "Your actual
mileage may vary"? Well, unless you are a car dealer I'd be
careful in how you verbally tap dance around your fat claims. It
is far easier to be truthful and downplay the possible benefits
someone may receive from using a product or service.

You can learn about the FTC's expectations and recommended ways
to stay out of trouble by visiting Jim Edwards free blog
(disclosure: this is not an affiliate link):

http://jimedwards.s3.amazonaws.com/ftc-advertising-interview/index.html

Now if you are interested in purchasing a kit from a law
firm that promises to clear all this FTC stuff up and provide you with
tools you need to protect yourself, then you might visit
these guys (disclosure: affiliate link):

https://innoventum.infusionsoft.com/go/bizshield/spidy/

See how this disclosure thing could work? Isn't it fun?
Oh boy ...

Until next time,


Steven

P.S.: Have a great Turkey Day! Forward this to a friend:


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Do You Need a Push?

Greetings, my loyal subscribers. I hope this day is filled with
nothing but good and exciting things for you. My business has
been picking up momentum over the past few weeks with lots of new
opportunities. All this without any formal promotion or
advertising. Friends ask how this is possible. My response is
simple: I have a silent partner in high places who sends me
opportunities. Then it's up to me to qualify them and close them.
If you want to meet Him, let me know. I'd be happy to introduce
you to Him!

I am continuing to update and expand my corporate web site to
reflect my growing diversity of services. The big thing now is
product launches. I understand you can actually pay a well known
guru who will teach you how to become a certified product launch
expert. Now I am getting contacted by people with zero experience
telling me they are certified product launch experts and they
would like to work with me on my next project. Typically, this
requires a sizable upfront fee plus a percentage of sales. A good
deal when you can find it, but would I really trust someone with
zero experience to help me with a product launch. I think not.

Last time I wrote to you, I discussed pursuing your calling and
listening for opportunities to help others. This is how we grow
and become our own certified experts. Let me give you an example.

Four years ago, when I returned to full-time consulting, I
was having a heckuva time getting new clients. I was more
expensive than everyone else out there, and people were reluctant
to pay for quality.

A friend of mine, John Hostler, asked me why I wasn't selling
copywriting services. I told him I didn't think I could sell
that. He laughed and reminded me I had a BA and MA in Creative
Writing, taught writing for three years at the university level,
published my own newsletters and books and ebooks, had been
director of marketing for three Fortune companies, and had built
my own internal ad agency at WilTel with 20+ designers, writers,
etc. And I had been writing for my employers for decades.

He had a point. I just never heard the calling to pursue it
before John suggested it.

John knew I was in a tough spot, so he advanced me some money
and sent me some sales letters and email series he had written
and told me to follow his examples. Then he started sending me
work. He coached me through the first project, and then started
sending me more and more work. I worked with John -- the best
damn copywriter on the Net -- for about a year on a multitude of
projects until he told me I didn't need him anymore and to go do
it on my own. Like a mother bird, he pushed me out of the nest,
and I discovered I could fly on my own.

Sometimes we need a push.

Since then, I've tripled my rates and business has been very
consistent. But without John's prodding and help, I would never have
heard the call or learned about my gifts, or put them to work for
others.

You have to be listening. You have to be watching.

Nuff said?

If you need help getting started, let me know. I'm always here
for you. Sales copy, product images, web sites, and even product
launches. 918-810-5233 or info@schneiderman.net, Monday through
Friday, 9am - 5pm CST. At your service. Visit www.schneiderman.net
for the full story.

Until next time,


Steven

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Is Someone Calling You?

Good morning. Today I want to share a few thoughts with you and
also tell you about a cool tool I think is going to be of great
interest to most of my readers.

Back in 1980-ish, a friend of mine, Meir Yedid, told me he was
going to make me famous -- relatively speaking, amongst
professional and amateur magicians. I'd been involved with the
art of magic and entertainment since I was five, so when Meir
said this to me, I smiled.

Meir reviewed my own magic trick creations and picked the one he
liked best, improved upon it, and started introducing it amongst
his professional magician friends. These included Harry Anderson
from TV's Night Court and David Copperfield. Both of these guys
liked my trick and offered to perform it and provide testimonials
for it. Meir started marketing it, and I've lost count how many
thousands of copies of this trick he has sold over the past 20
years. I've made a little change on it myself, but it's the
notoriety that I was after.

Meir then hired me to edit some lecture notes and books for him.
Over the next few years he published many publications, and my
name was always credited with the writing and editing. This led
to introductions to other magicians and magic dealers who needed
help with editing and writing. As a result of Meir's antics, I
was offered a column in a major magic publication, started
writing books for other performers and started developing some
level of status amongst my brethren. This led to web sites, too.

Recently, I had another friend ask for my help with managing
some church projects revolving around our hospitality ministry.
Our church is trying to become friendlier to guests in an effort
to bring people closer to their faith and to surround them with
loving friendship. It's a daunting task and I was asked to help
brand the effort. Somewhere along the way, I was asked to write
and ghost-write articles for our church publication. Then I was
asked to become a greeter. And now the church just voted me in as
deacon of the hospitality ministry for 2010. Imagine that. Business
followed soon after. Wow.

It's funny the way these things happen.

Someone sees something in you that you do not see for yourself.
And through their encouragement they bring the best out of you,
to benefit others, but also to prove something to yourself.

Some say it starts with a calling to do something based upon
your own unique talents and gifts. Others might say it is just
being open to lend a hand with something when a friend asks for
your help.

If you are stagnating in some part of your life, I ask you to
consider carefully if your friends have asked for help with
something, and you may not have responded to their call. This
could be the pivot point to finding your own "sweet spot" -- to
reversing a downward trend in your life -- to launching a new
career or exploring a hidden talent you never even suspected was
there.

Think about it, my friends. There's good stuff waiting to be
done, and you may be the perfect person for the job.

OK, nuff said. Now to the cool tool. I know many of you are in
need of a new web site for yourself and can not afford to hire a
pro (me) to design it for you. So here's a new tool called the
Amazing Mini Site Template that comes in several different
designs and colors, is fully customizable, and can transform your
present lackluster web site into something you can be proud of:

http://www.resellerproducts.com/amazing mini site template/

You may need to copy and paste that URL into your browser but go
take a look at it. For $27.00 you really can't go wrong and it
will positively make your site shine.

Until next time, listen to your friends when they ask for help.

OK?

All my best,


Steven

P.S.: Forward this to a friend by clicking the email below:

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Scam Alert: Facebook and Award Company Scams

I usually don't write to you more than once a week unless I have
timely information to share with you. I need to tell you about
two scams that I've come across.

The first is a fake Facebook update email. The email looks legit
but it is an attempt to steal your Facebook login credentials and
eventually your identity. Do not click on the embedded link in
this email. The subject line will state: "New login system" and
then the body of the email will inform you of a new login
experience but you need to click the embedded link. If you view
the source code of this link, while it looks like it is going to
Facebook, it is actually going to a European hackers site with a
fake Facebook login screen. I am betting that once you land on
the web site it will also try to load malicious software to your
PC. Be forewarned. Similar emails are circulating for fake Outlook
updates. Don't click the links. Delete the emails and tell your
friends about them, too.

The second scam I came across is an attempt to sell you an award
for your business. Like Who's Who Worldwide, these types of
companies try to pass themselves off as legitimate companies
claiming to perform market research on individuals and
companies and then nominate you for an award. You are then
offered the opportunity to order a plaque or crystal award or
both. This week I received a "Best of Tulsa 2009" award for
Marketing Consulting. Yeah,right. The plaque was $79.00 and the
crystal award was $179.00 and I could buy both for $199.00. While
these types of artificial plaques and awards may give your
business some credibility, eventually someone, somewhere will
question it. The email accompanying my nomination was very well
done and included links to a mock-up of an award with my name on
it and a personalized press release with my company's name in it.
Very clever. All automated. I bet they make a mint. And they are
located in D.C. to help pass themselves off as a legit non-profit.

So watch out. There's folks out looking to rob you blind under
the auspices of being helpful. If something sounds too good, it
usually is.

Until next time,


Steven