Posts Tagged ‘info products’

RIP, Zig

Sunday, December 9th, 2012

Zig Ziglar Michael Angelo Caruso blog

Zig Ziglar

The speaking business has lost one of its best and biggest talents.

Zig Ziglar was the best.  He recently passed away at the age of 86.

There are very few “originals” in my business, so the passing of The Master is a big deal.

An acquired taste for some people, Hillary Hinton “Zig” Ziglar used his southern charm on millions of people through his live events and information products.  He specialized in the topics of motivation, leadership, and selling. 

He and Brian Tracy were the people who inspired me to get into the speaking business.

 

Zig was one of my role models

Ziglar was a master storyteller.  He would drop to one knee as he began to tell a tale. There would be sub-plots and asides, but Zig would sometimes be on his knee for ten or fifteen minutes. 

The stories were always interesting, but you would sometimes hang on every word just waiting for the man to stand up again.  Great speakers always incorporate verbal messages with non-verbal signals. 

Zig had vibrant enthusiasm.  When he got excited, he would sometimes speak around 200 words a minute, then slow down just when he wanted you to focus on a particular message.

The pace of his speech slowed when he was driving home a point as he over pronounced key words in the manner of a Baptist preacher.  Zig’s comedic timing was quite sharp and his lessons were always delivered with humor and a “see you at the top” theme. 

Here’s a video featuring a classic Zig theme:  If you work hard, good things will happen for you.  Watch:

 

Wisdom from Zig

Very few speakers produced the type of brilliant content that Zig Ziglar did.  Of course, his delivery is what made the messages special, but here are some of my favorite “Zigisms”:

 

On selling:

People don’t buy for logical reasons.  They buy for emotional reasons.

Money isn’t the most important thing in life, but it’s reasonably close to oxygen on the “gotta have it” scale.

 

On leadership:

You cannot perform in a manner inconsistent with the way you see yourself.

Remember that failure is an event, not a person.

  

On attitude (which can be applied to both leadership and selling):

People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.

Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.

A lot of people quit looking for work as soon as they find a job.

If God would have wanted us to live in a permissive society He would have given us Ten Suggestions and not Ten Commandments.

You can’t make it as a wandering generality. You must become a meaningful specific.

You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.

 

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Labor Day doesn’t celebrate working harder

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

american flag michael angelo caruso labor day blogHappy Labor Day!

This long weekend signifies the end of summer, gives folks a chance to take a breath before the school year kicks in, and allows Americans to celebrate … work?!

Not many people know that the patriotic Labor Day holiday has its roots in Canada.  U.S. President Grover Cleveland fast tracked the first official Labor Day in 1882.  The timing and even the name of the event was largely due to the pressured politics of the day.


Why work once and get paid once?

Most people labor under what I call the “Work Once, Get Paid Once Model.”  Hourly workers, for example, toil for 60-minutes and get paid for that 60-minutes.  Many workers get paid upon the completion of a project.

I practice the “Work Once, Get Paid Forever” model.  As an information marketer, I create print books, e-books, audio programs, and DVDs and then sell them in perpetuity.

I usually create “evergreen” content that only requires slight revisions, so once the product is created, I can go on to other things, while that product continues to generate passive revenue.


You’re an expert, why not cash in?

Malcolm Gladwell, in his great book, OutliersThe Story of Success, claims that anyone who works at something for 10,000 hours is, for all intents and purposes, an industry expert.

In other words, if you’ve worked in an industry 40 hours per week for five years, you’re probably more than capable of creating passive income from an information product.

As a bonus, being known as an author will give your reputation a bit of a shine.


How to create info products

Let’s work smarter, not harder this 2011 Labor Day. fla4 create sell info products CD ebook cover Michael Angelo Caruso blogFor more ideas on how you can create passive income from info products, listen to my How to Create Info Products audio CD.  Order now and I’ll throw in a 30-page e-book on the subject.

-Michael Angelo Caruso Royal Oak, Michigan

3 tricks for repurposing content

Sunday, April 10th, 2011

I generate a ton of content!

Michael Angelo Caruso's info productsYou may know that I produce a bi-monthly newsletter, post three blogs a week, and maintain multiple accounts on Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter.

I also conduct monthly teleseminars, post tons of video on my YouTube and Vimeo channels and have created over 75 information products.

People often ask me how I get it all done.  Sometimes I wonder, too!


My favorite magic trick

One of my “tricks” involves repurposing content.  It’s a useful technique for anyone who works as a leader or supervisor, salesperson, customer service rep or whatever.

When you repurpose your great content, your information becomes accessible to more people in more convenient ways.  When your relevant content shows up in multiple places, YOU become more familiar, and people start thinking of you as an industry expert.  Pretty cool!

Do you ever give presentations?  Here are three easy ways to make your talk available in different modalities:

1) Record your live presentation with a digital recorder like those sold at Radio Shack. Then, import the sound file to a free audio editing program such as “Audacity” and burn audio CDs to giveaway or sell.

2) Record a three-minute highlight of your speech with a Flip video camera and post the clip on YouTube. Be sure to display your Web site on the “bottom third” of the screen to drive traffic to your Web site.

3) Publish an e-book version of your speech. Use voice recognition software to create a transcript or keystroke the speech into a Word doc (if you use a PC) and convert the document into a .pdf.

Oh, and congratulations! When you do #3, you’ll officially be a published author!


Churn out your own info products

For dozens of more tips on this subject and to generate a passive revenue stream for yourself, listen to my 60-minute audio CD, How to Create Info Products.  It comes with a 30-page e-book, too!

Thanks for your interest in self-improvement.  Now go repurpose some of your great content!

-Michael Angelo Caruso, Royal Oak, Michigan

I can finally recommend a credit card processor!

Saturday, February 5th, 2011

I just interviewed Bill Pirtle, my new bff, on how to save money with credit card processing.

He’s my new best friend because he showed me how to save a bunch of money on my monthly credit card processing statement.

Let’s review:  Bill Pirtle showed me how to save money on my MONTHLY statement, which I receive every 30 days, 12 MONTHS per year, EVERY YEAR that I own a business (the rest of my life).  That’s a lotta green.

Consider that I sell over 75 information products and have people all over the country register for my live training events via credit card payment.

Bill first got my attention when he pointed out that I didn’t need to pay a $175 annual PCI fee.  His company doesn’t charge anything for this!

Then I read his terrific book, Navigating Through the Risks of Credit Card Processing.

You can reach Bill Pirtle via most social media platforms and at 734-272-6177.

Here are some highlights from the interview, which will soon be available on audio CD through www.MichaelAngeloCaruso.com.

Q:  What is one of the biggest mistake business owners make when signing with a credit card processor?
A:  When they focus on the rate alone.

Q:  What’s wrong with focusing on the rate?
A:  Many processing agents use a “teaser” rate to get you to sign while placing up to 40 other fee types into the contract. These fees include transaction fees, authorization fees, batch fees, AVS fees, statement fees, annual fees, PCI Fees and some are even adding something called an “IRS Reporting fee”.

Q:  How can merchants tell if they need a review of their processing?
A:  There are several signs including:  unexplained fees and surcharges on most of your transactions.

Add all of your fees from each section of your statement divide total by net sales and then multiply by 100. This gives the effective rate, the percentage of your sales that you pay in fees. If fees higher than you thought you should be paying, you need a review.

Q:  True or false, reductions in rate are always best way to save money?
A:  False!  Reviewing a contract is more than reviewing rates. It is to review the policies and procedures of processing credit cards. Finding cause of non-qualified transactions and correcting can reduce fees several times more than just changing rates.

Q:  Besides rates, what is something business owners need to know?
A:  There is no such thing as a free terminal. A “free” terminal will result in added fees somewhere in the contract.

Bill’s special offer

If you share your complicated, hard-to-read credit card processing statement with him, he will show you how to save money within 6 minutes.  This valuable assessment normally costs $99, but it’s available to you at no charge if you mention my name to Bill when you call him at 734-272-6177.

Finally, I can heartily and enthusiastically recommend a credit card processing vendor!

-Michael Angelo Caruso, Royal Oak, Michigan

New Year’s resolutions that pay big dividends

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

31If you’re like me, you’re looking for ways to have a better year starting January 1.

Below are nine  easy ways you can become an even better person in 2010.  Call them New Year’s Resolutions, goals or whatever, they offer a great return on investment.

Many of these improvements offer a double dip.  If you become a better leader at work, for example, you are likely to become a better leader at home or for your condo association.

I’ve created easy-to-read e-books on the following topics and they will be instantly sent to you, when you place your order.  You’ll receive tips you can use right away and the information is very affordable at less than $10 per e-book.

If, from now on, you want to:

1  Serve people better

The secret to improved customer service is more focused dialog with the customer.  Unfortunately, auto-responders, Web site forms, reduced staffing and a faster speed of life tend to reduce the amount of focused dialog . . .

2  Be a more effective leader

Freud–and Aristotle before him–noted that two things motivate most humans.  Effective leaders know how to leverage what Freud called the Pain/Pleasure Principle.  I’m referring to the anticipation of pleasure (which isn’t usually  money) and the avoidance of pain . . .

3  Manage time better

Time, of course, is a limited commodity, but almost all of us can manage time by using systems.  A system, for example, will keep you from losing things, which ultimately saves time . . .

4  Cope with stress

Let’s be clear–stress is not natural.  Sure, there’s good such a thing as good stress, but it is not normal to always be edgy.  Many people are surprised to learn that stress is actually a choice–or more likely, a series of choices . . .

5  Deal with difficult people

I teach how to deal with a dozen types of difficult people.  The first step in dealing with them is to realize that the resulting conflict is because of you, not because of them.  With a couple of easy techniques, your situation can be much better . . .

6  Give better presentatations

One of the easiest ways to become a better presenter is to deliver a unique message.  A simple way to be different than other speakers is to not use PowerPoint.  If you must use a projector, only use it during the middle third of your program because  . . .

7  Negotiate to win

The best negotiations result in both parties wanting to do business again, but the Survivor mentality of modern businesspeople usually a conquer and destroy mentality . . .

8  Start a business

There’s never been a better time to start a business.  Digital products cost practically nothing to produce.  Marketing programs are as inexpensive as ever, thanks to the clever use of social media and video marketing . . .

9  Become known as an industry expert

There are two ways to become an industry expert FAST.  The first is to become known as a speaker in your area of expertise.  The second method is to become a published author.  Self-publishing makes this much easier than you think . . .

As always, you will be completely satisfied with my info products or I will make things right.

“Michael Angelo Caruso is a leader in the field of human development.  An inspirational writer, Michael draws from a wide variety of teachings to help create positive growth for individuals and their companies.”

-Jerry Nehr, President, Creative Discoveries Training and Consulting

Here’s wishing you a safe, happy and prosperous New Year!

Sincerely,

Michael Angelo Caruso

P.S.   For more on the power of New Year’s resolutions at work and at home, read my blog for DBusiness magazine.

Any salesperson can have this edge over the competition

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

I've developed a powerful and effective way to differentiate themselves from their selling competition by becoming published authors in their area of expertise.  (Actually, it helps a salesperson to be a published author of any stripe!) 

It doesn't matter what you sell or what industry you're in.  I've taught people in the heavily regulated financial services industry to author an e-book and still be within guidelines. 

Do this now.  Creating and marketing information products (seminars, webinars, teleseminars, e-books) will improve your closing ratios better than almost anything you've experienced.

Why is this true?  Because right or wrong, people will treat you better when you are perceived as an author. 

For examples of such info products, visit www.MichaelAngeloCaruso.com

Remember my dear Aunt Sally?

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009

You’ve probably met my dear Aunt Sally.  Most likely, you met her when you were in high school.  You may not recall what she looks like, but this wise old woman offered a valuable lesson.

Don’t remember the lesson?  See if this example helps.

What’s 2 + 3 x 3?

If you said, “15,” you’re wrong.  The correct answer is “11.”

Fifteen is the answer you get by reading the equation from left to right, doing the addition part of the calculation before the multiplication as in 2 + 3 = 5, then 5 x 3 = 15.  But, if you do the multiplication first, the answer turns out to be completely different, as in 3 x 3 = 9, then 9 + 2 = 11.

 

Math isn’t a flexible discipline

pedmas my dear aunt sally michael angelo caruso blogAt least five centuries ago, some brilliant mathematicians formulated something called the “order of operations,” now known as PEMDAS or as many people refer to it– “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.”

PEMDAS stands for “Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction.”  If you got “15″ as your initial answer in the above exercise, it’s because you forgot you met my dear Aunt Sally.

The order of operations and other forms of Boolean logic, play a big role in the marketing world when it comes to search, Internet algorithms, and even creating an bulk e-mail campaign.

Don’t forget your relatives, especially, yours and my dear Aunt Sally!

 

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-Michael Angelo Caruso, Royal Oak, Michigan