CarusoBlog

What distractions can you do without?

I live vicariously through mountain climbers.  Personally, I'm not into climbing, but it's thrilling to hear and read about high-altitude adventures.  John Krakauer's, Into Thin Air--the story of the 1996 disaster on Mt. Everest, is one of my favorite books of all time.

Recently, a climber named Mel Vanderbrug spoke to my Optimist club about his trek up Mt. Kilamanjaro.  He mentioned the word "scree" during his excellent talk.  Scree is a climbing term used to describe "the accumulation of loose stones or rocky debris lying on a slope or at the base of a hill."

Climbers want nothing to do with scree.  Loose stones and rock is a poor foothold.  If you're situated on a slope beneath another climber, scree rains down from above and slows your progress.  In a worst case scenario, scree can cause accidents and even death. 

 

Scree, in other words, is a distraction climbers can do without. 

 

Do you have scree-like distractions in your life?  Distractions always find their way onto the to-do list, don't they? 

 

The solution?  Keep potential distractions on a not to-do list and avoid them as if they provide a poor foothold, slow progress and even cause accidents. 

 

What kinds of distractions can you do without?

1,000 Free DVDs to the Cool People on My List

It's fun testing new marketing ideas online. 

This week, I'm going to offer 1,000 DVDs to the cool people on my distribution list.  There are no strings attached; it's just another one of the cool ways to do information marketing for little to no money.

To get on my list and be involved with the program, simply sign up for my 5 Cool Ideas newsletter at http://www.EdisonHouse.com.  It's free!

Free newsletter pays big dividends

I've been publishing my 5 Cool Ideas newsletter for over ten years.  I've never charged for it and it contains no advertising other than promotions for my live events and information products.  I know this is an effective way to promote my business because I'm constantly receiving compliments for the newsletter.  Here are highlights from the mail bag:

"Michael, I attended one of your seminars a loooong time ago (probably about a decade) and have been enjoying your newsletter ever since.   I've often shared your ideas with friends and family." 

 

-Pamela A. Quintero, Director, Internet Marketing & Online Education, Chicago

Board Options Exchange, Chicago, Illinois 

"I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Michael Angelo Caruso for a long time now. Through the design work we have provided his company, Edison House Consulting, I have seen how hard Michael works and the absolute value of his information.  One of my favorites are his 5 Cool Ideas e-mails.  Not only do I save them for their rich, useful content, but I have a desktop file where I can easily access them for immediate reference.

The effort that Michael puts into his business, the passion and thought behind his ideas, and the clear advantage he can provide business of all levels places him at the top of my business informational network."

 

-Ed Marsh, Principal, Night Cry Graphics, Royal Oak, Michigan

 

"I won a copy of your 5 Cool Ideas in a business card drawing at one of your live events.    I found it to be an informative summary of many things I know (but don't practice).  Your book has made me aware that I can really improve a lot of my daily interaction with people, including my son, Nathan.   

 

-John Keeler, Wesley Berry Flowers, West Bloomfield, Michigan

 

I'm teaching a telecourse on how to publish an e-newsletter starting June 30.  Five one-hour phone calls on Tuesdays at 3:30 PM ET.  Hope you will join me for these fun, productive sessions!  Register for e-newsletter course online or call 248.224.9667 with questions.

This job comes with free breast implants

Necessity is the mother of invention. 

A shortage of nurses has prompted private health clinics in Prague to offer unique incentives to entice female nurses to sign employment contracts. 

Today, The New York Times reports that job applicants are being offered unusual perks including German lessons, five weeks of vacation, liposuction and free breast implants.

Naturally, these new marketing techniques are creating quite a stir.  What do you think about offering free breast implants to job candidates?

Best way to stay financially comfortable? Sell information

I read the news today, oh boy.  Social security's not giving a cost of living increase in 2010.  First time this has happened in many years.  Warren Buffett and others warn of impending inflation, which means things will start costing even more.  Almost everyone's stock portfolio and 401k is down at least 40%.

There's no use debating this ugly news.  Best advice:  start mitigating the damage and minimizing your risk.  The fastest, low-cost way I know to do this is to sell information.

If you're good at something--and who isn't?--your expertise will no doubt be very useful to others. 

Digital information products such as e-books, audio programs and video cost almost nothing to create and can have as much as a 400% markup.  Customers are happy to pay your price as long as you provide value in the way of quality content. 

Don't panic about your lack of money.  Don't worry.  Don't complain.  instead, spend a couple hours a week creating a 30-page e-book and use the Internet to market it.  Anyone can do this.  I now have over 75 information products, including several that pay the rent every month. 

Good luck!

I've Loved These Days

Posted from Freeport, Grand Bahama Island-

 

Just a quick reminder that, believe it or not, we will all look back on these rough couple of years with fondness.  Good things are happening all around us.  Babies are being born, awards are being won, art is being created, but it may take us a while to appreciate these "good old days."

 

My brother Rob is a bigshot at Corporate Express (Staples).  His recent CD mix got me going on Billy Joel's "I've Loved These Days," so I had a closer look at the lyrics.  It's a simple song, certainly not poetry or even Billy's best work. 

 

But ILTD is strong and the kind of quality writing that has BJ can knock off in his sleep.  Here's my take on the lyric:

 

 

"I've Loved These Days" by Billy Joel

"Now we take our time … so nonchalant,
And spend our nights so bon vivant.
We dress our days in silken robes,
The money comes, the money goes …
We know it's all a passing phase."

 

Lots of lyrical tricks using opposites and diametrics.  Days and nights,

money comes and goes . . .

 

A gifted lyricist is not above using tricks, but Joel always finds other connections. 

"We spend our nights (money comes and goes)"

 

Love how "passing phase" is a musical suspension of sorts. 

"We light our lamps for atmosphere,
And hang our hopes on chandeliers.
We're going wrong, we're gaining weight,
We're sleeping long and far too late.
And so it's time to change our ways …
But I've loved these days."

 

Lamps and chandeliers continue the diametric theme, but he gets "light" in there, too!

 

A dirge-like tempo and minor key set the stage for disaster, but the title rings in optimism.

"Now as we indulge in things refined,
We hide our hearts from harder times.
A string of pearls, a foreign car
Oh, we can only go so far on caviar and cabernet."

 

A French theme emerges.  "Bon vivant" from the first stanza and now "caviar and cabernet."

Love the alliteration and matching meter.  Trust me, the line wouldn't have worked using the words " pinot noir"  and "hootch."

 

A "foreign" car . . .

 

"We drown our doubts in dry champagne,
And soothe our souls with fine cocaine.
I don't know why I even care
We'll get so high and get nowhere.
We'll have to change our jaded ways
But I've loved these days."

 

The "caberet" line flows into the "drown our doubts" lyric, then "champagne," another

French reference.  I believe cocaine comes from Columbia, but oh, well.

 

 

"So before we end and then begin
We'll drink a toast to how it's been
A few more hours to be complete,
A few more nights on satin sheets,
A few more times that I can say …
I've loved these days."

 

More opposites in the ending and beginning.  A toast of cabernet or champagne . . .

We never learn why the good life has to end --bankruptcy?  prison sentence?  trouble in paradise?  

In any event, this has to be the most upbeat, negative song ever written and a song for our times.

 

A lot of good things have happened for us in the last 18 months:  a new sense of fiscal responsibility, less focus on material possessions, an appreciation for the little things in life. 

 

"I've Loved These Days" is a song for our times if we want it to be. 

 

What other song is a good reflection of these times?

Business travel is always good for your company

I'd like to speak out on behalf of business trips. 

Thanks to American International Group (AIG) and a slew of other party animals, the business trip has gotten a bad name.  So, allow me to remind everyone of what we thought of business trips before the fog of economic despair and bitterness set over the land.

First, know that most business trips, while interesting and fun, often involve horrendously long hours.  Workshops, breakout sessions and three-hour dinners aren't most peoples' idea of a good time. 

To get to the event location, attendees with families must usually jump through all kinds of logistical hoops, including the procurement of a long-term babysitter, long-term parking and a relatively long-term seat next to an unusual person on an airplane. 

True, business trips are usually held in nice places with palm trees and nice hotels, but why should the most successful employees (those who are invited to off-site meetings) be subjected to sub-standard or uncomfortable accommodations? 

Second, the overwhelming majority of business trips are not over-the-top boondoggles.  Such outings are planned by rational, honest meeting planners, who are working with a reasonable budget. 

We do business meeting because they work.  In fact, they more than pay for themselves over time.  No amount of teleconferences, webinars, Skyping or Twittering will ever replace the spark and the energy of meeting with like-minded business associates. 

Here's my point.  Even during slow economic times, it makes no sense to cancel all business travel until further notice.

I've recently returned from keynoting a textile trade show in the Bahamas and promise you the meeeting agenda was serious and ambitious.  The meeting was attended by some of the hardest-working business leaders in the country.  

True, many of them brought their significant others to the islands and thought of the trip as a working vacation or a "vacation with purpose."  I think that's a smart way to travel for business. 

What do you think? 

-Michael Angelo Caruso, http://www.EdisonHouse.com

Make it easy for people to compliment you/your biz

Composed in Nashville, Tennessee-

You are aware that compliments about you and your business make you feel good.  But these types of compliments also make your customers and prospects feel good.

Endorsements and third-party testimonials are vital to business growth.  In the old days, a person asked a satisfied customer to send a letter of recommendation.  Then, the letter had to be properly typeset, keylined and reproduced so other folks could see it. 

Today there are three easy ways to use testimonials.  You should be using them all.

First, you can have someone post a recommendation to the Internet on a site such as Linkedin.  You can ask the person to revise what they write, but I recommend not trying to micromanage the process.  Instead, work on collecting dozens of testimonials. 

Here's a recommendation that someone posted for me a while back.

"Michael Angelo was one of the speakers at the Motor City Connect conference. His practical advice about business development really resonated with me. I look forward to utilizing many of his suggested techniques."   Val Main, Client Service Director, Resources Global Professionals, Detroit, Michigan via Linkedin

The second thing you can do with recommendations is copy-and-paste them to other Web sites.  My Linkedin network consists of several hundred connections, but my Facebook page has several thousand connections.  So, I often re-post the testimonial where more people will see it.

Finally, you can paste a recommendation into your e-mail signature file.  I usually add it as post script or P.S. and introduce the testimonial as my favorite compliment of the week. 

Don't be shy about promoting your business, especially now that it's easier than ever to do so.

I still enjoy home delivery of the Sunday New York Times, although the subscription just went up to $7.50. Wow.

Microwaves, ATMs, computers. We have so many time-saving devices, why are we still starved for time?

Wanna be a big thinker? Stop thinking like others

Every problem creates an opportunity, eh, Michael?

 

If that's true, the world's current spate of problems are presenting us with a treasure chest of happy options.

 

If better times are ahead (and they most certainly are), the challenge lies in being able to think big, even as everything we know gets smaller.

 

But, how on earth can one "think big" when:

 

-  Customers are spending less money?

-  Credit lines are being reduced?

-  Work forces are being down-sized/right-sized?

-  401ks and portfolios are being halved?

-  Family budgets are becoming smaller?

-  Job markets are shrinking?

-  Revenues are down?

 

 

The secret to thinking big--now or anytime--is to stop thinking the way most people think. 

 

You see, most people are average and average people don't actively spend time or energy thinking big.  In fact, average people don't think much at all.  Most people, as you know, are creatures of habit who develop daily routines that are rather automatic.

 

Years ago, we used the word "groove" as in "groovy" to describe a situation where everything is great, as in a comfortable routine.  Of course, over time a groove can easily become a rut and then thinking big becomes quite difficult.  

 

To shake yourself from this kind of situation, you must spend some time with people who don't think like average people.

 

I seek out quality time with Stephen Covey, Tony Robbins, Alex Mandossian and my brother Joe Caruso.  It's true that this quality time is usually spent reading their listening to their terrific audio CDs and reading their great books, but I've also had the pleasure of meeting the above four gentlemen on many different occasions.  

 

I met Joe the day he was born!

-----------------------------------------------

Listen in when I interview my brother, Joe Caruso, on the art of thinking big, Wednesday, June 3 at 4 PM ET.

 

Joe Caruso is an author, a consultant, a professional speaker and an idea man.  On June 3, Joe and I are going to have some fun with the subject of how to think big.

 

Own the 60-minute audio CD, which is packed with useful info and either way, you'll add valuable tools to your skill set.  I promise practical advice you can use forever. 

 

Who will benefit from this program? 

 

  -  Marketers

  -  C-level executives

  -  Salespeople

  -  Customer service representatives

  -  Entreprenuers

  -  Creative types, authors and speakers

 

Order the 60-minute audio CD recording; listen whenever you'd like; add the CD to your corporate library;

share with others.

52 Weekly Selling Tips--Tip #7: Sympathy Costs Your Company Money

One of my clients says that sympathy costs his company money and he's right.  When salespeople feel sorry for customers, they tend to give price concessions, acquiesce on terms and bend protocol. 

This usually subtracts from sales commissions as well as the bottom line.

It's better to practice empathy than sympathy.  When you have sympathy for a customer, you understand their pain, whereas when you have sympathy for someone, you actually feel their pain.  Pain is a negative emotion that will not serve you when selling.

If you sympathize with a customer who is having cash flow problems, you might feel sorry enough to give him a discount--and then you will have cash flow  problems.  Listen for a few minutes and then say things like, "I hear what you're saying" and "It sounds like you've been giving this some thought." 

There are probably dozens of ways to handle a give situation that don't involve a price discount.  Only agree to a price concesssion as a final strategy. 

If you're in sales, sympathy costs you money, but empathy earns you money.

This is Tip #7 from Michael Angelo Caruso's 52 Weekly Selling Tips.

E-newsletters are the cheapest, most effective way to market your biz

Composed in Sarasota, Florida-

Thanks to the advent of desktop publishing and the Internet, there are many ways you can market yourself and your business for little to no money.  All you need is a delivery system.

I now teach this in a five-phone call telecourse called, E-newsletters--The Best Way to Keep Prospects Close and Customers Closer.  Here's an abbreviated version of the syllabus:

Syllabus

Call #1 - Introduction, overview, identifying your "forehand," the power of information marketing, developing a delivery system, I answer your questions.

Call #2 - Your Internet presence, promoting your e-newsletter from your Web site, blog and via social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  And I answer your questions.

Call #3 - Creating content and value, how to never be without great articles and graphics for your e-newsletters.  Non-technical advice on how to beat spam filters and improve click-through rates.  making your e-newsletter a revenue center.  Oh, and I answer your questions.  

Call #4 - How to repurpose your content to create information products such as e-books, audio programs, video programs and seminars--all of which promote your business.  And surprise!  At the end of this call, I answer your questions.

Call #5 - The final call is the capstone course and summary.  I'll review what we've learned, suggest what you should do next and I answer your questions.

Many attendees publish their first e-newsletter before the class is even complete!  Pretty impressive!!  This e-newsletter course rocks, if I do say so myself.  You will love this telecourse by the second session or I will refund your money.     -Michael Angelo Caruso, http://www.EdisonHouse.com

Creating user-friendly links to sell your products/services

If you sell products or services through an online store, you probably use some sort of shopping cart feature to generate links or uniform resource locators (URLs).  In most cases, these URLs are impossible long character strings that are unsightly and bulky to use in e-mails and other promotional messages. 

 

Worse, long character strings simply are not allowed on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and other sites that use micro-blogging.

 

There are three main ways to solve this problem: 

 

1)  Paste the long URL, as is, into your message.  (Easiest, but not recommended.)

 

2)  Create a hyperlink or clickable link in your message by selecting/highlighting

      a word such as "purchase" or "register" in the message, then clicking the link

      icon and inserting the entire URL/link.  (Fairly easy and recommended.)

 

3)  Create a smaller URL at www.TinyURL.com.  Use this site to turn

     60-character URLs into only 30 characters or less.  You can even

     use this site to customize your tiny URL to read something like

     http://tinyurl.com/5CoolIdeasBook.  (A few more steps, but highly

     recommended.)

 

 

Give these techniques a try and let me know how things go for you.  -Michael Angelo Caruso, www.EdisonHouse.com

 

When selling, sympathy costs money, but empathy makes money

I was recently talking with a client about empathy.  We were planning a training event for his young store managers and he wanted them to know more about how to relate to customers and prospects. 

As we discussed the content of the program, we began to consider the difference between sympathy and empathy.  My client contributed something he had learned about sympathy.  "When it come to business," he said, "Sympathy costs money." 

His point was that feeling sorry for a customer might lead to a soft-hearted discount or unusually generous consideration.  

I added that empathy or having the ability to share a customer's feelings can build rapport that leads to a larger sale or more sales.

So, when it comes to selling, sympathy costs your company money, but empathy makes your company money. 

My trick for meeting famous people

Posted from Laurel, Maryland-

I've been fortunate to meet many famous people through the years--Mike Love (Beach Boys), George Herbert Walker Bush (photo of us on my Web site), pop star Rick Springfield, speaker Tony Robbins, best-selling authors Mark Victor Hansen (Chicken Soup for the Soul), Dr. Stephen Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People), many more and counting.

The truth is that luck isn't the only determing factor when it come to meeting people of influence. 

Someone once asked thief Willie Sutton why he robbed banks.  Sutton answered, "Because that's where the money is!"

If you want to meet famous people, remember the old real estate axiom, "Location, location, location."  In other words, you've got to hang out where celebrities hang out. 

The first class cabin of an airliner is such a place.  This is where I met Michael Steele, Chairman of the Republican National Committee today on the flight from Detroit to Baltimore. 

All conventions and national trade shows have keynote speakers.  It's fairly easy to meet this guest of honor, but first you have to meet the Executive Director of the hosting organization.  That's how I met Tony Robbins.  I ended up going to the Nashville airport to pick him up.

Famous people are just like other people.  They don't mind spending a few minutes with you if you are polite and to the point.  As always, it helps to be complimentary, but don't fawn. 

Finally, try not to say the same thing everyone says to them.  The phrase, "I've seen all your movies," is not likely to get you extra time with a celebrity.

What famous people have you met?  How did it happen

Bill Gates and I are working on something

I'm working with Bill Gates on a project.  Actually, 1.2 million Rotarians like me are working together on a project that will finally eradicate the world of polio. 

Mr. Gates has donated $200 million dollars to Rotary International under the condition that our organization matches the funds.  Not an easy thing to do, but Rotarians are an ambitious, resourceful bunch of folks. 

Someone did the math and figured out that each Rotary club has to raise a few thousand extra dollars per year to meet its obligation.  This gave me the idea to hold professional development seminars for Rotary clubs and guests throughout North America. 

There are about 25 of these seminar events on my calendar, past, present and future.

I spoke to 125 people in southwest Michigan a while back and helped raise $4,800 in one evening.  Read the newspaper article.  The Rotary club of Van Wert, Ohio held a similar event and raised $12,500 for polio.  My goal is to help raise $100,000 in the next 12 months.

I belong to the Rotary Club of Troy, Michigan. 

The 15 most powerful words

Composed in Nashville, Tennessee-

There are over 500,000 words in the English language, but some words are much more powerful than others. 

As the author of many books on communication and a veteran public speaker, I've identified what I think are the most important fifteen words you can ever use with another person. 

"I am proud of you."  People love to hear this phrase--even from total strangers--because they don't hear it enough from bosses, co-workers and spouses.

"What do you think?"  Everyone loves to be solicited for their opinions.  There is no faster way to let people know that you take them seriously.

"Will you please?"  Etiquette is always popular, even when it goes out of style.

"Thank you."  Nuf said.

A person's name is the most powerful word you can ever use with him or her.  My free e-book, "How to Remember Names," teaches a remarkably effective technique I call "cluster imprinting."  To get your copy, send me an e-mail through http://www.EdisonHouse.com.

The new "Entrepreneur Boot Camp" series is my best work, yet

Composed at 30,000 feet, en route from Detroit to Minneapolis-

Almost everyone is really good at something.  Your expertise is certainly of value to you and it probably has value to others.  Many people would gladly pay you for your advice, counsel or service, if they knew it was available to them. 

People would give you money for an e-book, a teleseminar or other information product---if only you had a delivery system to make these resources available to them.

A delivery system allows you to put your product, service or valuable information in the hands of others and allows you to collect a fair price for your offering.

If you've ever said something like, "I should write a book" or "I'd like to start my own business" or "I wish I had a little more money," read on.  

I'm pleased to announce the completion of my newest information product.  It's the final FastLearnerAudio program in the series and I'm very excited about the topic.

This unusual information product is called Entreprenuer Boot Camp.  It's one of the best things I've ever done and you're going to love it.  You'll receive four one-hour audio programs on CD so you can listen anywhere and four 30-page e-books on the following topics:

CD1:  Become an Industry Expert   I'll show you how to get compensated for your expertise.  (It's okay if your true passion is not related to your job.)  If you have an employer, he or she will be delighted that you are interested in raising your industry profile.  As you know, experts often become rainmakers for their companies.  One sure-fire way to become an industry expert is to publish an e-book or make a video recording of a short presentation. 

CD2:  How to Create Information Products     I'm teaching everyone to create information products such as e-books, audio programs and other deliverables.  A popular e-book series can be your new 401k and help you feel better about money lost in the stock market.  Imagine people purchasing your info product online and sending money right to your bank account!  I'll show you how.  

CD3:  The Art and Science of Self-Promotion   Believing in yourself is critical to any success, but this can be a challenging task.  Convincing others to believe in you is even more challenging.  There are strategies that will help.  You can double your speed of success with my proven techniques for self-promotion.  I'll show you the words to use, how to use them and will even share ideas for automating this magic.

CD4:  The Lifestyle of a Speaker/Author   In any business endeavor, it helps to know where you're going.  This program will explain everything you need to know about how my business works and what you can expect from your newfound success.  Speaking and writing is a terrific way to help people! 

The Entreprenuer Boot Camp program is practical, easy to use and affordable.  In fact, if you are actively pursuing your business on any level, this info product will pay for itself within 90 days.  I'll give your money back, if you're not completely satisfied.

There's been a call for independence

Posted from Ft. Smith, Arkansas-

I'm in Arkansas to keynote a conference on leadership.  I'm lucky because audience members have always been interested in my message and what I do as an information marketer.  Lately, however, that curiosity is more of an aggressive interest.   

That's because more and more, people are being asked to take care of themselves.  Banks say, "We're limiting your credit."  Employers say, "We can no longer match your 401k."  

This is not an economy problem or a money problem or even a job problem.  It's a relationship problem.  There are four basic types of relationships:  dependence, co-dependence, interdependence and independence.  

If you need your boss more than she needs you, it may be in a dependency relationship.  A person usually becomes painfully aware of dependency status when he gets laid off, when the economy slumps and during periods of high employment.

A co-dependent relationship is even more precarious.  In this situation, you and your employer need each other to succeed.  This reduces the risk of being let go, but it can be a new kind of trap because you can't leave.

A relationship of interdependency is healthy, but can be difficult to attain and balance over the long term since there are so many intervening circumstances.

Finally, many people find independence to be extremely rewarding.  Think financial independence or being self-employed.  By the way, being self-employed is not for everybody.

A good balance for most people is having an interdependent relationship with an employer and some sort of supplementary income to make life a little more rewarding and fun.

Being compensated for speaking and writing appeals to my audience members because they don't need to quit their job to enjoy extra benefits.